goats on a little rock

Have you ever seen the movie Curley Sue? Not a great movie....but it is about a man and his daughter mooching off of everyone and getting a "vacation" in the city......well sort of....not really.....

Anyway....that is what this trip reminded me of---in a way----because that is how my brain works! I am either in a movie or a TV show..

We stayed in Jeff's hotel room (he is on a business trip) which is nicer than anything we would ever get if it was on our own dime....even if it was the La Quinta!

We had a King size bed, a pull out couch and a huge TV....and more importantly....cable!!

Max enjoyed his birthday HOTEL LA QUINTA style!!!

Atlantis Legos for birthday gift

(birthday breakfast)

We walked everywhere to avoid using gas and we did everything that was free!! OK, I am not totally cheap, I am not totally like the homeless guy on Curley Sue....I mean, it's not like I pushed my son out in front of a car, broke his arm and tried to get a free meal out of a handsome man....

How to have fun in Downtown Little Rock for free:

playing in the sewer system: free

intimidating homeless creatures in order to find the secret passage to South Korea...

FREE

the knowledge that if you smoke...your  baby will end up in your back pocket..FREE

using dental technology (pressurized air) to get relief from an itchy cast: FREE

showing the boys the "Capitol Building" without ever going to D.C. :  FREE

letting the boys go "bouldering" without going to Colorado: FREE

I should write a book....I do these things out of necessity, but the rest of you chuckleheads could save tons of money and be millionaires if you would lie and cheat your kids out of the vacations you've BEEN giving them.

Vacation idea of the day:

when you go through that turn style thing at the entrance to Bass Pro....say "now you know what it is like at Disney....no need to go!" but don't look at your kids when you say it....I have a sneaky suspicion that my boys are rolling their eyes at me.

CHOMP CHOMP

Football is my favorite time of year!!

well.....1. Christmas, 2. Halloween, 3. Football, 4. my birthday.......well.....I guess it is possible that the last 3 are all rolled together....

ANYWAY....I went to the University of Memphis. My parents' money went there, I got my degree there, and I found my best friend/husband there......My husband is a life long Tiger fan.....so I am a Tiger fan!! They hardly ever win a football game so we don't see too many victories unless it is basketball season.

I was born a Gator fan!! My dad went to the U of F, I was born in Florida, my family is from Florida, winning teams and awesome players come from Florida......so I am a Gator fan!!!! (and Spurrier fan....he was quarterback when my dad was there).

Tomorrow, September 18th, the Gators play UT (the worst team in the universe!). I hate UT! I grew up in Chattanooga. Do you know how horrible that was?? Almost everybody in Chatt. is a UT fan.....Memphis is far enough away from Knoxiousville that there are enough Bum fans and Ole Redneck fans and (have I offended all my readers yet???)........anyway.....Memphis is a good mix of fans around here!! AND we have quite a few UF fans too!!!

Let me get to the point of my post since I lost most of my readers a couple of paragraphs ago....

A college friend of mine sent me the coolest gift!! Her husband works for a company here in Memphis that made the "orange colored" glasses they handed out at the Florida game to the fans IN FLORIDA!!!! They gave me a pair! How cool is that??? I am thrilled that they thought of me!!! I will be wearing them to watch the Gators beat the stinkin' vols tomorrow!! Thanks Brian and Leslie!!

sorry about the pic, all my guys are on a canoe trip so I had to take it myself......hope you can't see what I  ate for dinner.....yep, I have fillings....

This is how I will look cheering tomorrow....hopefully......smiling.....and yes, I know that everything is backwards, it is the mac cam....I was trying to get a close up of the cool glasses! It is a blue and orange football helmet, the lenses are orange.

They say "You're in Luck with the BIG ORANGE TRUCK" It is an advertisement for MID-FLA Heating and Air. It was interesting that a company in Memphis made these to go all the way to Florida!!

Good Job on the graphic design Brian Brock!!

P.S.

after reading this....Brian told me that this was his first Custom Die and he is now on his 3rd or 4th. I am so excited to have a part of his first creation!! I wish him success in his new job.....but more importantly I pray that God uses him to His Glory!! (I am being serious...that had nothing to do with gator spirit...)

  

The Middle

I love this new TV sit com, The Middle. It is supposed to be a comedy...and IT IS...but I find myself teary eyed at each episode!
Yes, I am strange. But you knew that already!


I can stupidly find myself empathizing with these parents! They are struggling financially, they are tired AND they are trying to do what they think is best for their children and marriage.


The reason I get emotional?????  I am an "edge of a fence" away from their life.....or that is how I view it!!


I don't make the same financial decisions or the same discipline decisions and my children don't act the same but it could easily happen:
like the episode of the "no interest until 2009" (if I had not been taught better by my parents)


I feel how tired the mother is, how stressed she gets when she gets the bills or finds out about another fee or activity that cost money....


As far as the children and their hilarity....it is a mixture of various experiences of my personal children and experiences of all the students I have taught!!


I ABSOLUTELY love this show!!  Watch this clip!!


The Middle Clip

2 new favorites

I have 2 new blogs that I read......besides mine....OK, they are the only other blogs I read.....

I had a couple of friends that had blogs, but they did not or do not keep up with them AHEM......so when and if they do post....I might read it....if blogger alerts me to it...

anway....the 2 NEW FAVORITES (and only other blogs I read) are:

http://thecornerstoneforteachers.com

http://www.studentsgrow.blogspot.com

The first one will take you to a site full of fabulous information!! This young and energetic teacher has written a book The Cornerstone. It is on classroom management. I have not purchased a copy for myself. I would love to have one! HINT HINT......my birthday is October 13th!!!
This site will also take you to her blog and you can also friend her on facebook.

I am about to say a few things that will make me sound like I am full of myself.....I AM NOT......but.....I love this teacher's ideas!! I feel like I am reading my life and thoughts when I read her stuff!! It is common sense, practical and wonderful!! Every teacher and parent should read her site, and buy her book!! The ideas I give in behavior training and the ideas I used when I taught were just as simple!! BUT sometimes when you are IN THE THICK of it......it is hard to solve the puzzle or come up with new, quick and fresh ideas!! AND some people have a gift for teaching and training.....The Cornerstone website and book is a must!!!

The second link is a blog written by a school psychologist. She is also young and energetic (by that I mean....not burned out, ready to love, teach and help ALL children....LOVES her job).
She is funny and practical!! She has great ideas, wonderful strategies and encouragement! I want all teachers and parents to read this blog!! You can friend her on facebook too.

I am so glad these two young ladies are providing this wonderful information!! I have always wanted to write about my ideas......but didn't.....and now they have.....and I don't have to!!! YEA!!!

MAZ School tip of the day:
older elementary kids spelling (personally I think it is ridiculous but pretty sure your school doesn't care about my opinion).....
get 50 or 100 piece puzzles to put together with your kid while they practice spelling their words out loud and sucking on sour or peppermint candy OR chewing gum.....
THINK I am crazy???? try it!!! I guarantee it works!!!
(while they casually put puzzle together, you call out word....they spell it....they miss it??....they take out the pieces...if any....and put them back in while spelling correctly....) understand?.....let me know...

classroom management

You can't teach if you don't have control of your class! That is my THANG.....I love discovering the behavior of each student in the classroom. I equate it to behavior profiling.....like on Criminal Minds....actually I really did have that kind of job when I taught the emotional disturbed junior high class and then the self contained behavior disorder high school class!!

My very first job was the ED junior high class. It was all boys except one girl and she was the most dangerous. The principal stuck us in a building by ourselves behind the main school building. She made me eat lunch with my students because they were so terrible. I kept the job for a total of 3 months. I left because the principal was breaking so many special ed rules (and wanting me to do the same). It was a county school and nothing was being done for the students. Before I quit, the students were eating lunch on their own and half the class had been integrated into regular classes!! The students I can handle! The students I can TRAIN....it is the administration that is helpless!!

My last job was the CDC behavior HS class.  This was a city school. They would not even give us a classroom. I held class at the end of a hallway on the steps (for the kids that actually showed up!!) I quit this job after 4 months. When I left.......I admit nothing changed.....but the principal left shortly after I did......It was a horrible city school......the kids were completely out of control.

Every class has a class clown, bully, stinky kid, sick kid, ADD kid, withdrawn kid, daydreamer, etc.....I am teaching a combination of 5th grade and 7th grade this year. School lasts from 8am until 2pm with a one hour lunch. I have seen every single one of these personalities in my TWO students. They pop up at random times. They switch back and forth.

As I ate lunch with my students today, I was reminded of my very first teaching job.........................and I decided I need a teacher's lounge.

As I observe a pencil roll off the table about 88 times a day, use planned ignoring, use hygiene reminders, use visual/tactile or auditory sensory to engage learning, "encourage" organization, give the "teacher look" to the clowning student, try to laugh off the smarty pants comment, and keep track of the make-up work for the sick kid........I get an odd thrill of why I love the behavior teaching part of being a teacher!! I love the few seconds of disguising my true feelings of wanting to smack the crap out of the kids and then the few seconds of working the puzzle of "why are they exhibiting this behavior and how can I change it into learning"......

THEN as I listen to the boys' questions and answers and see that sparkle and excitement when they learn something new or the wheels finally click......I remember my last job.............I get this overwhelming happiness with the teaching job that I have right now!!

Learning Tip for the day:
If you have to tell the student to sit down more than twice, let him stand up!! He needs to stand up!! It is part of his learning process!! Tell their teacher Mrs. Z said so!!!!

Goats in Downtown Memphis

I have not felt so young and energetic in a few years. And probably never will again....

Today, I played right along with my young "teen" sons. Here is the video to show what a weirdo I am.......I don't usually care what other people think about what I am doing....but when I got to the bottom of the hill, a small crowd had gathered and they clapped for me. I was slightly embarrassed. I thought about not doing it again but I had a ton of fun........

I should have stopped after the first two times. The last time down, I landed on my hand. My wedding rings cut into my knuckle and busted some blood vessels.

One of the times down the hill, I caught some air! It was fun and the landing was not that bad.....but I must have bruised my butt.....after watching a movie tonight.....I realized....sitting on my butt is not an option at this moment!!

I recommend sliding down a grassy hill if you have not done it in a while!!

However, Max is allergic to grass.....so it was not so pleasant for him tonight either......

The boys enjoying the gulf of mexico, again......well the memphis mud island model...........

Now for a little trivia game.....can you guess where our other stop was???

Jeff and I seriously thought of 3 places to get married and this next place was one of them but it cost money......and you know how I hate to spend money!!! So we did not get married here:

Give up???

Can you read the sign???

This was a fun day! The blacksmith was there and showed Jeff and Jack some projects. Max and I sat outside on a bench. Max was sneezing and coughing. His ears were bothering him and he had a stomach ache. We actually stopped here first and THEN drug Max to Mud Island to walk along the river walk and slide in the grass to which he is allergic.........he is now laying next to me on the couch with a stomach ache. SIGH........

It was a beautiful day in the neighborhood!! and my dream is to live in that neighborhood....DOWNTOWN!!!!