Wow, has it really been over 3 weeks since I last blogger? A lot has happened and nothing has happened.
By nothing, I mean that we motor along as usual - scouts, church, going to the gym - you know, the usual. None of that has changed. Routine is good. At least for me. I have always been a creature of habit.
By a lot, I mean we are getting me an iPhone, my husband had a brochoscopy to biopsy a mass in his lung, a loved one is sturggling with some "professional" issues and our van needed some major $$ repair. All of these have kept us feeling like we live in the shadow of doom - when would the next disaster befall us... Fortunately, my Esther study addressed just that issue this week. God does not want us to live in a state of fear. Satan, on the other hand, does. Some days Satan is the winner. Some days, God.
Like when I talk to my husband on the phone from work and he tells me what a rotten day he is having. Then he sees he has a message - it must be the doctor, finally some good news, he needs it. Nope - the mass needs to be biopsied. Satan wins.
Just get off the phone with hubby and his lousy day and his negative doctor's report and I get an e-mail from the Alabama Depart of Public Safety - They are going to renew my driver's license!!!! God wins.
Let me change that. God ALWAYS wins. I guess I just allow Satan to get in my line of sight and all I see is him some days.
Kids are great! Still hating the TAKS test. Nothing new there. Loving my husband more than ever - if that is possible. And finally making some wonderful "connections" outside the military. We have really needed this. We only connect in a new community when we make "non-military" friends. And if they read this: Thanks for making us smile! We love our military friends, but they are as transient as we are. We need to connect to roots. Thank you Stacey & Paul, Amber & Craig, and John & Shelli for being our roots in Nebraska.
Peace to all who read...
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Just not feeling if for Kathy & Dee...
Am supposed to be at bible study right now, but I'm not. Just not getting in to it. Kathy Troccoli (sp?) and Dee Brestin seem nice enough & knowledgeable enough. but I find myself dreading the study. I don't want to do the homework memorize the verses or even go. This is not by any means an editorial of the study. I once felt this way about the first Beth Moore Study I did. I hated it. I think it is just not my time to do this particular study. I ended up redoing the Beth Moore Study I hated and LOVED it! Go figure. And tonight, I am starting the new Esther - Beth study. Maybe I am just not capable of giving my all to two very intense studies. I just know that it felt right to stay home.
Am lifting someone or some family up in prayer right now. But I don't know who. I was on my way home from dropping my oldest off at a bible study at school this morning just before 7:30am. When I came around the corner to head toward our neighborhood I saw HUGE bellowing black smoke just starting up in the sky. Immediately I started think house or brush fire. So, I pulled into our neighborhood and headed toward the smoke (which was now worse) and followed it to the back entrance to our subdivision and saw a small red sports car engulfed completely in flames! I got out and joined some of the neighbors near by and watched as this car became nothing but ash. If the person driving did not get out immediately, then they did not survive. There was NO WAY. No one waiting there with me actually saw if happen. So no one was there to see anyone run away from the vehicle. I pray that the driver had the presence of mind to get out. If not, I lift up a family that suffered a tragic loss today. Apparently folks of all ages drive very fast on the street where this happened. And my guess is that it was a teenager headed to the high school. I have never seen anything like it.
I am starting a new running program. It will help train me to run 10K. I am getting very frustrated with my progress or lack there of. And my weight. Some of my friends laugh (and some times glare) at me when I complain about my weight. I know that I am not a big person anymore. But that is just it. When you were a big person for so long: 1. Sometimes you have a hard time ever seeing yourself any different. I still think I look bigger than I am. 2. I have gained some weight since my big weight loss and some of my clothes are actually tight. I wish I viewed things differently, but I don't. I wish I had self control when it comes to food I like, but I don't. So I live on a constant diet so as not to go back to what I was. Back to my running program. It is an 8 week program and seems very doable. I guess the proof is in the pudding - oops a food analogy! See, i can't get away from it...ugh!!!! :-)
Peace to all who read.
Am lifting someone or some family up in prayer right now. But I don't know who. I was on my way home from dropping my oldest off at a bible study at school this morning just before 7:30am. When I came around the corner to head toward our neighborhood I saw HUGE bellowing black smoke just starting up in the sky. Immediately I started think house or brush fire. So, I pulled into our neighborhood and headed toward the smoke (which was now worse) and followed it to the back entrance to our subdivision and saw a small red sports car engulfed completely in flames! I got out and joined some of the neighbors near by and watched as this car became nothing but ash. If the person driving did not get out immediately, then they did not survive. There was NO WAY. No one waiting there with me actually saw if happen. So no one was there to see anyone run away from the vehicle. I pray that the driver had the presence of mind to get out. If not, I lift up a family that suffered a tragic loss today. Apparently folks of all ages drive very fast on the street where this happened. And my guess is that it was a teenager headed to the high school. I have never seen anything like it.
I am starting a new running program. It will help train me to run 10K. I am getting very frustrated with my progress or lack there of. And my weight. Some of my friends laugh (and some times glare) at me when I complain about my weight. I know that I am not a big person anymore. But that is just it. When you were a big person for so long: 1. Sometimes you have a hard time ever seeing yourself any different. I still think I look bigger than I am. 2. I have gained some weight since my big weight loss and some of my clothes are actually tight. I wish I viewed things differently, but I don't. I wish I had self control when it comes to food I like, but I don't. So I live on a constant diet so as not to go back to what I was. Back to my running program. It is an 8 week program and seems very doable. I guess the proof is in the pudding - oops a food analogy! See, i can't get away from it...ugh!!!! :-)
Peace to all who read.
Monday, February 2, 2009
Hormones & TAKS tests...
I just sat at the computer a couple of hours ago and composed a scathing e-mail to my son's teacher about all this TAKS test crap. Then, I took a deep breath, looked at my words (or at least my intent) and deleted large portions of it and then rewrote and sent it. I am currently very hormonal and tend to go off the deep end when I am. So, as much as I wanted to say all the stuff I said, I know that some (if not all) was hormone driven. And nobody should have to deal with that.
What is the TAKS test you might ask? Well, from all the info I can gather, it is a (can't think of the correct wording here - another problem with my hormones) test given state wide in Texas to all public school students. In Nebraska we had the Terra Nova. Every year starting in 2nd or 3rd grade, kiddos would take this standardized test for their grade level. The week before the test, we were notified that the test was being given and to make sure our children would be at school. The only "prep" per se was to make sure they had a good breakfast every morning of the test. After the test was done we would see the results at the next parent/teacher conference. The results were discussed and we moved on. The results and testing were for our individual needs - not the school's. Not here. Our testing starts here in March, but the prep work for these tests started right after school began. They immediately identify the kids who don't meet TAKS standards and start tutoring them after school. The concepts that they teach in these tests are burned in to these children from the moment they can hold a pencil. They refer to these concepts as "strategies." I have looked them and I don't disagree with the idea. I think it does help kids process information and answer questions correctly. My problem is that when you are new to the school system (and the concept), you are unfairly targeted. Oh, did I forget to mention that these tests results are the way that a school as a whole is graded??? They spend too much time teaching the test that they miss out on teaching so much else. My middle child struggles in school - always has. But do you think he is getting the help he needs in those specific struggles - No. Not unless there is some TAKS prep test that will help. Over all, he is a strong B student. And his regular grades are fine, but if you listen to his teachers (concerning TAKS stuff), he is really having problems scholastically. It seems the majority of what they do involves the TAKS process. If they have stories to read, they questions answered using the strategies. And if they fail to use the strategies (even if the answer is right), they take credit away and make them practice more.
This is not a "this school is wrong and my child is perfect" rant. My whole family is far from perfect, and my middle child has always struggled with scholastic endeavors. School does not come easy for him like it does for his siblings (it did not for me either). But to be struggling with school to begin with and then have some new concepts thrown at you that are specific to this school system and told that you will fail a grade level should you not master these things is more than just a little upsetting. It seems he can never get a break. He will come home do his normal homework and then we have to work on TAKS prep. All while his sister & brother are outside playing. So, now we have 4 years of TAKS practice to make up for at home. Gee, sure is going to be fun around here. Oh and that "fail a grade" statement I made a minute ago....In 5th grade if you fail the TAKS test, you will not be promoted to the 6th grade.
I so wish were back in the Nebraska school system. I felt like we had come so far with our middle child. Now I feel like we are back to square one. Ugh!!!!
On a more positive note - I will be starting a new Beth Moore study on Wednesday night!! I am so excited!!!! She really inspires me. I am glad God has placed her in my path.
Peace to all who read.
What is the TAKS test you might ask? Well, from all the info I can gather, it is a (can't think of the correct wording here - another problem with my hormones) test given state wide in Texas to all public school students. In Nebraska we had the Terra Nova. Every year starting in 2nd or 3rd grade, kiddos would take this standardized test for their grade level. The week before the test, we were notified that the test was being given and to make sure our children would be at school. The only "prep" per se was to make sure they had a good breakfast every morning of the test. After the test was done we would see the results at the next parent/teacher conference. The results were discussed and we moved on. The results and testing were for our individual needs - not the school's. Not here. Our testing starts here in March, but the prep work for these tests started right after school began. They immediately identify the kids who don't meet TAKS standards and start tutoring them after school. The concepts that they teach in these tests are burned in to these children from the moment they can hold a pencil. They refer to these concepts as "strategies." I have looked them and I don't disagree with the idea. I think it does help kids process information and answer questions correctly. My problem is that when you are new to the school system (and the concept), you are unfairly targeted. Oh, did I forget to mention that these tests results are the way that a school as a whole is graded??? They spend too much time teaching the test that they miss out on teaching so much else. My middle child struggles in school - always has. But do you think he is getting the help he needs in those specific struggles - No. Not unless there is some TAKS prep test that will help. Over all, he is a strong B student. And his regular grades are fine, but if you listen to his teachers (concerning TAKS stuff), he is really having problems scholastically. It seems the majority of what they do involves the TAKS process. If they have stories to read, they questions answered using the strategies. And if they fail to use the strategies (even if the answer is right), they take credit away and make them practice more.
This is not a "this school is wrong and my child is perfect" rant. My whole family is far from perfect, and my middle child has always struggled with scholastic endeavors. School does not come easy for him like it does for his siblings (it did not for me either). But to be struggling with school to begin with and then have some new concepts thrown at you that are specific to this school system and told that you will fail a grade level should you not master these things is more than just a little upsetting. It seems he can never get a break. He will come home do his normal homework and then we have to work on TAKS prep. All while his sister & brother are outside playing. So, now we have 4 years of TAKS practice to make up for at home. Gee, sure is going to be fun around here. Oh and that "fail a grade" statement I made a minute ago....In 5th grade if you fail the TAKS test, you will not be promoted to the 6th grade.
I so wish were back in the Nebraska school system. I felt like we had come so far with our middle child. Now I feel like we are back to square one. Ugh!!!!
On a more positive note - I will be starting a new Beth Moore study on Wednesday night!! I am so excited!!!! She really inspires me. I am glad God has placed her in my path.
Peace to all who read.
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