GROSS!!!!!

This TOTALLY makes me gag!

Well, I don't love it....

Sandy's last blog reminded me of one of the cute endearing things that Brandon used to say. He was 4 when he moved in with me and I had to learn all about the foods he liked. Likewise, he had to learn about new foods and what I like to cook (giggles). So as we learned one another and our tastes, we were constantly trying new things together. He likes potato salad which is NOT one of my favorite things. But I did find a recipe that I do like so that we are both happy.

At each meal, Brandon would be faced with something new or different for a while anyway. He was never really reluctant to try things but his answer was usually the same. He would try a little bite, think about the taste and feel in his mouth, and say one of two things. He either liked it and would finish it up or he would look at me and say,

"Well, I don't LOVE it."

But the funniest thing would be that he would still eat it!
He has changed a little now. He will still try practically everything, but if he doesn't like it he won't eat it. I don't blame him. I don't like to eat foods that don't taste good to me either.

The Planet Earth

This weekend I went to Walmart and found the complete series of "The Planet Earth" made by the BBC for sale. Well I had to have it, being the science geek that I am. Brandon and I spent the weekend oooooing and ahhhhhhing over caves, cute baby animals, desert elephants, moutains and giant trees. I was impressed at the artful way the documentaries were done and I am very excited to show these to my students next year.

Brandon kept blurting out "Mom, look at that! Mom quick look! Mom, that is so cute!"
The cutest thing he said was "Mom, why do they keep eating the babies? They should eat the bigger ones. They aren't nearly as cute as the babies."

Standardized Testing

This week in Georgia we are giving the CRCT standardized test. It means for two hours everyday we submit our students to multiple choice testing. I don't have good things to say about this process but I do have a cute Brandon story about it.

I asked him on Monday how testing was going. He said "That test is pretty hard, but I am pretty sure I got them ALL right."

I love his optimistic view. I am also glad that he has such an good self image. He never ceases to amaze me.

Pic of the Day

We went out to look at the new babies today when we got home. I was able to catch this adorable moment. Ok, everyone together now....

AHHHHhhhhhhhhhhhh!

Memories

I found this picture when I was looking for a picture to add to the last blog I wrote. Brandon had been living with me for exactly one year when this picture was taken. It has now been over 4 years and I still can't get over how much I love him. He has been an incredible addition to my life and one that changed my life forever. Because of him, I laugh more, smile more, live more. I can not imagine life without him.

I LOVE YOU!!!!

The fun of learning to read

Learning to read has not been Brandon's favorite thing in the world. But lately he has found how fun it is to know the words around him and know what is going on.

So we go to Sonic for a milkshake. Brandon speaks up from the back seat, "Happy whore everyday 2 minus 4. Mom, what does that mean?" I was shocked for a second, but then asked "where do you see that?" "It is on my cup, Mom. Does yours say that too?"

I look at my cup and sure enough it says "Happy Hour Everyday 2-4pm." I corrected his reading mistake and he was pleased as punch that he read almost every word right.

It's a Boy!!!

Well the long awaited time has come, and we now have one more baby boy. He was born early this morning. I went out to see him after church this morning and he came right up to me. What a sweetie!!

Little Boys

It is an absolutely beautiful spring day in Georgia. The sun is shining. A breeze is lightly blowing. Flowers are blooming everywhere you look. The temperature is incredibly perfect.

So I grab my camera and head out to take some pics of the baby boys in the field behind the house. My sister has two new babies and one that is about a week over due. I wanted to get some pics of the boys before they get much bigger. They are in the same coral together so I thought this should be easy. Their moms are both laid back and let the humans mess with the babies. But I found this morning's task to be more difficult than I expected. Both of these little boys are NOSEY. Every time I tried to get a good pic they would walk right up and put their nose in the camera. So I hope you enjoy the best pic of the morning. :)

Frustration

As a special ed teacher I sometimes get so frustrated. Now one might think that I get frustrated with students since we work with some of the more difficult students. But NO! I am not frustrated with kids. I would love to be able to teach kids and be left alone by OTHER TEACHERS.

OK, here is the situation. We have a standardize test coming up for the entire state of GA. Some kids due to their disability are tested in an alternate setting, or have the test read aloud to them (as long as reading isn't being tested). Well these accommodations are set up and legally binding by a report known as an IEP (Individual Education Plan). Well a certain regular ed teacher came to me this morning with what he thought was very urgent plan about a student. You see, this teacher believes a certain student needs to be pulled out to be tested but his IEP states otherwise. The teacher wants me to rewrite the students IEP so that he can be pulled out for the alternate setting during the test. Now the student has not been pulled out in years past and he will do ok taking the test in the regular setting. In other words, pulling the student isn't going to help him make a better score on the test.
Yet, I heard the other teacher out, but I along with the director of special ed agree that this student will take the test as planned in the regular education classroom. Well this is just completely unsatisfactory to the other teacher. He believes that he is right and he will not drop the subject. So since I did not give him the answer that he wanted this morning, he asked me again a little later. My answer was the same and I refuse to argue with him about the point. I just said thank you for your concern but he will take the test in your homeroom as planned. He wanted to argue the point so I told him he could take it up with the director.
You see this student isn't the sharpest tool in the shed and it does take him a while to get things done but that is no reason to need to be in a smaller setting for the testing. Yes he needs redirection at times to stay focused, but that is why the proctor of the test should walk around the room. Simply pointing at his test booklet is enough to keep the student focused on what he should be doing.
All I can figure is that this regular ed teacher doesn't want to properly proctor his students during the test.

Simple joys

Everytime I see this picture of Brandon I think how wonderful simple joys are. He is riding in a pedal car, wearing a hat he made from an envelope, and he is having a wonderful time. With all the technology, tv and activities whirling around us, I sometimes wish for the simple joys of life: spending time with family and friends, watching a butterfly, puppy dog breath, cloud watching, or just plain laughing till I cry.

I hope I always remember to slow down and enjoy life.

Nice, Warm, and Cozy

A friend of mine once asked Brandon, "How is your Grandmom?" He got a grin on his face, wrapped his arms around himself, closed his eyes and said,

"She is nice, warm and cozy."

Field Trip 2

On our second field trip, we visited a local animal rehabilitation center. Some animals get returned to the wild and some have to stay permanently at the center. Noah's Ark (http://www.noahs-ark.org/) is a great place to see animals that you may never come in contact with otherwise. It is also a children's home that helps kids who are in our foster care system.

We took a picnic lunch and then toured the habitats. Slaton, who is usually scared of animals, walked right up to a deer and pet it. This deer was so tame that I watched about 10 kids follow it around each with a hand on it. The deer was unphased and just kept grazing. It really was a sight to see.

We also saw ostrich, emu, buffalo, llama, lions, tigers, and bears. OH MY!!!! The best part was how beautiful it was that day. The sun was shining, there was a nice breeze, and it was nice and warm. It was really a great day!

Spring Break!!!!

This spring break we decided to stay home and see what we could find to do locally. So here are the chronicles of our findings.

Day One: We travelled about and hour to our first destination - World of Coke. Brandon and I brought along his cousins Slaton and Stephanie. That way we could all have fun and not get bored on these long days without school.

The World of coke has a lot to offer. We were first greeted by the employees of Coca Cola and we learned a little history about the advertising of Coke. We saw many artifacts of times past when a bottle of Coke was only 5 cents. Yes that is right only 5 cents, and it was that way for many years!

Then we entered a theater and watched an animated film about the Coca Cola company and what happens when you put your money in a Coke machine. It was really cute and kept the boys interest which is always good. When the movie was over the screen lifted up and we were invited to see the rest of the exhibits.

First we saw the polar bear. He was a great big fella but the boys got their picture made anyway. Slaton was a little worried at first but since Brandon wasn't afraid, he wasn't going to be either.

We then moved through the story of Coke. How it started, who invented it, who bought the rights, how it became so BIG.

After we saw that we were able to see how Coke is bottled. The boys really liked this part with all the machines and the assembly line.

Then came the 4-D theater. Brandon LOVED it and wanted to watch again. He liked how the seats moved, water splashed on you, and really the entire experience. Slaton on the other hand cried through most of it.

The boys were ready to sample all the different flavors of drinks from around the world. It is amazing how living in a different area can affect what tastes good to you. I guess it boils down to what you are familiar with.

Once we left the World of Coke, we walked over to the Olympic Park in downtown Atlanta. There were still major signs of the tornado that hit recently but the park was beautiful. We were able to play in the fountain for a little while and stayed mostly dry. :)

We really had a great day!!

Big Dreams

Brandon moved in with me when he was 4. Soon after he moved in we talked about what he wants to be when he grows up. I really expected him to say a fireman, policeman, cowboy, you know, the usual answers. Well I was floored because he looked at me very solemnly and said, "I am going to be the president." Notice it wasn't I want to be, but I AM going to be.

Well since then, he has told me that he has had dreams where he has talked to Abraham Lincoln, George Washington and other presidents. I can never fail if I get him a book about the presidents or anything else to do with them. He has asked to go to Washington,DC many times.

So this summer I am going to take him to DC. He told me he wants to talk to President Bush when we get there. I have explained to him that we may not get to do that since the President is a very busy man. So I hope that won't be a big issue when we get there. Although I am going to see if we can tour the White House. After all he will be living there one day. :)

Once the primaries are over and we have a better picture of who will be running for president soon, Brandon and I are going to volunteer and start learning about all it takes to become president. This will either encourage his dream or make him rethink it.

I have had a few people tell me "I hope he will be _____." which ever party they are affiliated with. I just smile and say whatever he does I hope he will do it to the best of his ability. Besides by the time he is at the age to become president who knows which parties will be the main ones.

In any case I want to encourage his dreams as much as possible. I wouldn't want my dreams to be discounted and I want him to have high expectations of himself. What is a higher expectation than being President of the United States. I would be honored to have him as my president.

Speak my Language 2

There is a Chinese restaurant that we frequent. The owners have a little girl just a year younger than Brandon. They like to talk and play when we eat there. Well, Brandon decided he would like to say hello to Sarah in Chinese. He asked her mom how to say hello in Chinese and he practiced it so he could do it just right.

So once he finished eating, he walked over to Sarah, grinned and said "Ne how." He was so proud of himself for being able to speak her language. Sarah's mouth dropped open and her arms flew from her sides. She started screaming, "NO!! YOU NO SPEAK CHINESE,!!!! YOU SPEAK ENGLISH!!!!!" It totally freaked her out to hear Brandon speak in Chinese.

He was devastated and did not know how to react so he just sheepishly walked back to his seat. I hugged him and told him not to worry, she just didn't expect him to speak that way. Since that day he has never spoken any Chinese to Sarah, but if he thinks you are Chinese, he proudly says "Ne how!"