September 11th

I still remember where I was, what I was doing and what I was thinking...

It Happened in 3's...

They always say that things happen in 3's.  And this... was no exception. 

Two weeks ago a very good friend of the family passed away.  He was the vet that used to come to the farm every other week.  Needless to say I have known him just about my whole life.  My dad would take us up camping in upstate New York to his cabin for long weekends.  Very rustic this was.  No electricity and only out houses.  He was one of the kindest gentleman I have ever known.

The very same week my best friends grandmother passed away.  Nana was an extraordinary woman in her own time.  She was far beyond her peers in forward thinking and appreciated the important things in life.  Services were for family only but I was honored to be included in that category.  It is never easy to see a good friend grieve but I was glad that I was able to be there to help ease the pain and remember some of the fond memories.  I knew her almost as long as my own grandmother.

Third but not least and not to compare to the passing of a friend or family member but last week, the night after the first day of school our beloved dog of 15 years passed away in her sleep.  We knew is was coming but you can never prepare yourself for this.  I have to say it was harder having the conversation with my six year old that night.  I have never had to have the death discussion and what happens after.  I tried to explain to him once we gave the news to the boys that Lucy was in a better place.  She wasn't sick anymore and she got to play with all of her dog friends.  He was quite sad and explained that he was worried about Lucy.  How do you help your child with closure on such a subject?

So I am thoroughly convinced that things whether good or bad happen in 3's.

First Day of School

The first day of school has come and gone with success and no tears.  Walker started first grade and Peyton was starting the 3-year old pre-K program that Walker went through.  Though Peyton was a little scared and thoroughly exhausted by the end of the day, when he came home on the second day he was all excited about riding on the big yellow bus.  Click here for more pictures of the frist day of school.

Walker has had no homework as of yet but I am waiting on pins and needles to find out what he will have.  His teacher has less than thrilled me so far.  She has come from another school and has not been able to answer any of the basic questions that were posed to her during open house.  I am sure you will be hearing more about it during this school year.

BTW... apparently Mrs. B's class from last year is not doing the "Block" discipline program this year.  What a surprise...NOT!  Anyways I hope he has a good experience with his new teacher even if I don't.  The administration seems to preach the same old song without giving reason or information as to why they have come up with that decision... other than... I have been teaching for 15 years!  As far as I am concerned I don't think it matters how long you have been teaching but how well you teach your students.  Longevity of your job does not dictate how well you teach.  The happiness and knowledge of your students is a reflection of how well you do your job.

More to come...

Valley Falls

As fall quickly apporaches the lazy days of summer come to an end.  On Saturday we ordered the back packs for school and bought the kids new sneakers and shoes.  We decided it was time to do something fun with the kids.  We went to a nearby lake in our town where there is a small beach and water for the kids to play in.  My husband and I realized that we had not taken the boys to the beach at all this summer.  Too many projects and too little time stood in our way.  I must have taken about 120 pictures that day and this is one of my favorites.  For a few more photos you can browse my gallery.

Per request of fellow blogger Kris in New England here is Mr. Crankypants.  He isn't one for fingerpainting or using glue (unless it is a gluestick). So needless to say sand is just plain messy but sandcastles need to be made.

Texas Talk

This is another e-mail that I got that I thought was well worth repeating.

Near Fredericksburg, Texas, there is a large German-speaking population.
A farmer walking down a country road notices a man drinking from his
pond with his hand.

The farmer shouted:  'Trink das wasser nicht. Die Kuhen haben darin
gescheissen.' (Translation:  Don't drink the water. The cows have shit in it.)

The man shouted back: 'I'm from  New York and just down here
campaigning for Obama,I can't understand you.  Please speak in English.'

The farmer replied:  'Use two hands, you'll get more.'

h/t - Unkawill

A Simple Solution

Three men - a Canadian farmer, Osama bin Laden and a White Trash Biker are all walking together one day.

They come across a lantern and a Genie pops out of it.

'I will give each of you one wish, which is three wishes in total', says the Genie.

The Canadian says, 'I am a farmer and my son will also farm. I want the land to be forever fertile in Canada '

POOF! With the blink of the Genie's eye, the land in Canada was forever fertile for farming.

Osama was amazed, so he said, 'I want a wall around Afghanistan , Palestine, Iraq and Iran so that no infidels, Americans or Canadians can come into our precious land.'

POOF! Again, with the blink of the Genie's eye, there was a huge wall around those countries.

The Biker says, 'I am very curious. Please tell me more about this wall.'

The Genie explains, 'Well, it's about 5,000 feet high, 5oo feet thick and completely surrounds the country. Nothing can get in or out; it's virtually impenetrable.'

The Biker sits down on his Harley, cracks a beer, lights a cigar, smiles and says, 'Fill it with water.'

h/t - Jack @ Murder and Mayhem