Last week, Emmalynn’s teachers planned a Memorial Day program complete with songs, poems and red, white and blue attire. The kids were so cute. I don’t think there was a dry eye in the house.
Thank you to all the service men and women who sacrificed so much to protect our freedom.
God Bless the USA!
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As we wrap up the end of the school year, it seems like the projects keep piling on. One of the recent projects required my youngest daughter, Emmalynn, to read a biography, complete with a book report and then she had to either dress as that person or create a puppet of that person for an oral presentation.
Did I mention she’s only six? I don’t recall having to do these types of presentations until high school. Nonetheless, Emmalynn and I visited our local library to search through the stacks of biographies for her report.
There were so many wonderful biographies of great people. Although the choices were endless, we limited our choices to the materials and costumes available in our closets for the oral presentation portion of this assignment. Should she be Sacagawea? Mary Queen of Scotts? Madame Curie? Hillary Clinton? Miley Cyrus? Harriet Tubman?
The choice seemed clear when we found You Wouldn’t Want to Be Joan of Arc!: A Mission You Might Want to Miss. She
could totally pull off a Joan of Arc.
With her Bob haircut, a sword, a riding horse-on-a-stick, and a homemade Princess Leah costume, she would be a dead ringer. Not literally, though. We would omit the whole burning at the stake part for her presentation.
As we read through the book, we learned that Joan of Arc preferred carrying a banner over a sword. Therefore, we fashioned a similar banner using the backside of some leftover Christmas wrapping paper. Emmalynn did her best to draw a few fleur de lys, the angels Michael and Gabriel seated on either side of God and the Latin words “Jesus Maria”.
For a more dramatic effect, Dad wrapped some duct tape around the cardboard tube. It also helped strengthen the tube.
In the end, we had our own little Joan of Arc, who lived to tell about her adventures.
From the moment they hatch, sea turtles face many great challenges on their way to the sea. From mistaking lights on the beach for the moon to the numerous predators, sea turtles must overcome great odds to survive.
SeaWorld’s newest attraction, TurtleTrek, teaches visitors how to help sea turtles as they make their journey. With a little education, conservation and awareness, we can make a difference in the life of a sea turtle. As the exhibit proudly proclaims, each of us has the potential to be everyday heroes to help make the world a better place for all.
TurtleTrek’s up-close observation deck allows guests to encounter West Indian manatees and sea turtles in a naturalistic habitat.
In one corner of the exhibit, a model of a turtle nest offers a real-life example as to how some everyday heroes protect sea turtles on the beach.
Also on the observation deck, visitors can play Race for the Beach, an educational video game displayed on massive screens. After selecting their species of sea turtle, guests swim the ocean munching on favored foods while avoiding hazards like nets and plastic bags.
As guests follow the TurtleTrek trail below, they become immersed in underwater life.
Schools of more than 1,500 Caribbean-native fish, sea turtles and manatees greet guests on their way to the world’s first 3D 360 dome theater. With the aid of a state of the art film, Nyah, a sea turtle shares her amazing journey and there are no bad seats in the house.
Once I learned a portion of each dollar spent in the TurtleTrek gift shop benefits in-the-field research to help save animals, I couldn’t resist purchasing some gifts for my children. With small trinkets, I would be an everyday hero to my little critters as well as sea creatures.
For residents and locals, the best way to experience TurtleTrek again and again is with a Fun Card or annual pass. Each provides unlimited visits to SeaWorld Orlando and all the park’s special events and festivals including Halloween Spooktacular and SeaWorld’s Christmas Celebration. Even better, there are no blackout dates!
For more information or to buy your Fun Card or annual pass now, go to www.SeaWorldOrlando.com
*I experienced SeaWorld’s newest attraction, TurtleTrek, as part of a grand opening media event and received no compensation for this review.*
In support of Purple Day (March 26), Kirsten and I have planned another purple picnic for our girls. For the special occasion, I’m busy preparing a purple pasta salad and baking purple cupcakes and any other purple provisions I can think of for our little picnic.
The purpose behind Purple Day and our pint-size purple picnic is to spread epilepsy awareness.
*Purple Day Picnic 2011*
Did you know that “epilepsy affects over 50 million people worldwide or approximately 1 in 100 people? That’s more than multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy and Parkinson’s disease combined.” (Statistic borrowed from purpleday.org.)
My niece, Meghan, is one of the people affected by epilepsy.
In a few weeks, our entire extended family will participate in the Hare Racing Experience to benefit epilepsy awareness. We’ll wear matching purple shirts and represent ourselves as Team Meggers in Meghan’s honor.
We gladly give our support and hearts to each of the causes because someone we love needs a cure.
*Purple ribbon photo by Kirsten*
Please consider wearing purple today to help spread epilepsy awareness.
Have a purple song or photo to share? Join our Music Monday Purple Day Blog Hop. Link up and share. Linky will stay open until Sunday, April 1.
Additional facts about epilepsy from PurpleDay.org:
Some common triggers include:
Forgetting to take prescribed seizure medication
Lack of sleep
Missing meals
Stress, excitement, emotional upset
Menstrual cycle / hormonal changes
Illness or fever
Low seizure medication levels
Medications other than prescribed seizure medication
Flickering lights of computers, television, videos, etc., and sometimes even bright sunlight
Excessive alcohol consumption and subsequent withdrawal
Street drugs
My girls were excited to be going back to school.
For the first time in 6 years, I didn’t have a lump in my throat on the verge of tears.
I was happy because they were happy.
But really I think I was giddy ready to be rid of them to be at home alone again with Little Lion Man and back to a regular routine.
When I picked the girls up from school on the first day, I asked about their first day. They both exclaimed, “It was AWESOME!” I was happy all over again for them.
I believe it’s going to be another great school year.
A few days ago, my girls and I were talking about school starting up again. We got to talking about their teachers which led to me sharing stories about teaching days.
I told my girls how I would sing to my students my own version of Smash Mouth’s All Star when they made their reading goals associated with our computer-based Accelerated Reading program. I explained that the words to my revised version of the song hung on a wall in my classroom and every Friday, we celebrated the students who made their weekly reading goal by singing the song and had a small party. And then, I busted out the tune to my girls:
Hey now!
You’re an A.R. star
Get a book and go read.
Hey now!
You’re an A.R. star.
Get the points that you need.
All that reading is bold.
Strengthens your mind.
Make that goal.
“You sang that to your students?” Allana asked with a sneer. “What grade did you teach?”
“I taught third graders,” I replied.
“Oh my God. They must’ve have thought you were such a dork.”
“My students LOVED me! And you would have thought I was cool too if I was your teacher instead of your mom. So there!”
Boy, kids are tough these days. Glad I’m not going back into the classroom again this year!
So with my girls returning to school today and ready to worship their cool doughnut-giving teachers while continuing to poke fun at their dorky, very uncool only-feeds-us-healthy-stuff former teacher mom, I thought this song only seemed fitting.
Visit Amanda, Xmas Dolly and Hairbows & Guitar Picks for more Music Monday fun.
When I heard this week’s theme for The Gallery, I knew just what photo to share. This photo was taken back in 1996 when I taught third grade at Rodney B. Cox Elementary in Dade City, Florida.
Only my second year teaching and I had so much to learn and that school and those kids taught it to me. Between old red brick walls, they taught me quite a lesson about myself and the world they we live in.
Academically and professionally, it was my toughest teaching year by far. But it also the most spiritual, rewarding and uplifting experience in all my years of teaching.
I grew professionally and became a great teacher, thanks to Cox Elementary and those kids. I believe I became a better person too.
I loved those kids and the person they taught me to be.
Last Monday, we began the back to school grind. Although the girls were excited to start the school year, I wasn’t ready to let them go.
Every August, I always suffer with more anxiety and butterflies about the start of a new school year than my girls do. Will Emmalynn behave? Will Allana be challenged? But this year, I had even more mama guilt than usual because I felt I didn’t spend as much time with them as I should have. Our last few weeks together had been pretty uneventful due to a never ending nursing schedule with a newborn.
My youngest daughter, who was once referred to as my baby before the arrival of our newest baby, entered kindergarten. To prepare for the big day, we had countless conversations this summer about how kindergarteners behave. Kindergarteners don’t pee their pants. Big girls need to be responsible for their belongings. Kindergartners need to know how to write their name.
Emmalynn has never been one to give a full account of her days at school and what she does remember always seemed so random. Therefore, I learned to rely on notes from her teachers or other moms to share information or stories about what goes on in the classroom. When I picked her up after her first day, Emmalynn reported that she did not get a lollipop and the details behind that situation are still uncertain. However, she happily reported, “Mommy, Kindergartners do not have rest time.”
Allana enters third grade this year and she now faces FCAT (Florida’s standardized test – Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test) every academic year. Over the summer, shifts and changes occurred at her school with the staff, including the principal which caused me to worry about her placement, because Allana needs a teacher who will challenge her.
Allana hoped for a teacher who was warm and friendly as well as challenging, but mostly she hoped that her best friend, Nikki, was in her class. So far thankfully, everything seemed to work-out just as we hoped.
Even Emmalynn seemed off to a good start. She may not have been given a lollipop, but a happy face, a sticker, a pencil and a new book made for a fabulous first day.
Until the next day, she “washed” her hair with hand sanitizer and by Friday, she lost her new glasses. *sigh* Looks like we need another conversation on responsibility and how kindergarteners don’t wash their hair at school.
In the end, the girls we survived the first few days daze of school and thankfully, it was a successful one.
*Proudly submitted at GMYBS, Photo Story Friday and Finer Things Friday.*
At the start of summer, I hooked the girls into books by having them apply for their own library cards. They loved the grown-up responsibility of caring for their cards and selecting their own books. Their faces beamed with pride as they handed over their cards to the librarian to check-out their books for the first time. Since then, we’ve arranged bi-weekly visits to the library to make good use of those library cards.
In our area, the local libraries and retailers have made it easy to encourage my girls to read throughout the summer by offering prizes and rewards. We started with Barnes and Nobles Summer Reading Passport because my oldest, Allana, was very excited to win a free copy of 39 Clues and last week for Wordless Wednesday, I shared a photo of Allana enjoying some hot cocoa and her new book. Once she got the sweet taste of success by completing the Barnes and Nobles passport, it was easy to keep her motivated with other programs such as Borders and Taco Bell, especially when she learned the Taco Bell reward would be a free taco and burrito.
However, we have found the summer reading programs a bit more challenging for my youngest, Emmalynn. Although she loves books and reading, she reads at an emergent level (very basic). Most of the books added to her reading logs were books Allana and I read to her. When Allana reads a book to her sister, I allow her to list the book on her summer reading form. Of course, this was another way to encourage Allana to keep reading as well as way for her to model good reading to Emmalynn.
This summer, I made it my goal to teach Emmalynn to read. As a former elementary school teacher, I have several samples of emergent books from a variety of publishers. The simple, repetitive text and picture cues in the books build word recognition as well as success. Using sight words and some basic phonics, my daughter has developed the ability to recognize the words in print as well as in her environment around our house. When she successfully reads one of these emergent readers, we added it to a summer reading form. In fact, she finally completed her Barnes and Nobles summer reading passport and earned her first free book too.
Years ago when teaching Allana to read, I stumbled upon a wonderful resource: Mrs. Jones Free Printable Mini Books and decided to use the mini books once again teach Emmalynn to read. Each week, I print out a book related to a field trip we took or a topic we’ve discussed. We assemble the book and read it together. Then I’ll ask Emmalynn to read the book, pointing to the words as she reads. If she struggles with a word, I’ll ask her to use the picture cues to drawing meaning or use the beginning sound of a word to help her. After she successful reads the book independently, she colors the book as a reward.
Recently, I found another website that offered free emergent printable books: Making Learning Fun. Some of the books listed are simple versions of your children’s favorite stories. I know my Emmalynn will enjoy learning to read these books!
For other tips, tricks and strategies to get your kids to embrace summer reading, visit the discussion at TwitterMoms.
“I wrote this blog post while participating in the TwitterMoms blogging program to be eligible to get an “I Can Read!” book. For more information on how you can participate, click here.”
30 Things I Vow to Do This Summer
#19 – Participate in the various summer reading programs through our local library, Barnes & Nobles and Borders.
Allana and Emmalynn finished their Barnes & Nobles Summer Reading Passports so we visited the bookstore for them to claim their free books. To celebrate their accomplishments, I treated the girls to hot cocoa and cookies. They truly loved their sweet rewards.
Next, we take on the Borders summer reading program.
View the rest of the items I vow to do this summer here.
