It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

But seriously. It's beautiful out. Well, quickly turning into a mess, but lovely for a moment. It's quickly turning into a rain storm. You know, the kind Guns n Roses sang about at my jr. high dances. 

Besides the weather though, I've started shopping. I got s sweet outfit for the MapleLea dolls to share,and a neat little set of puzzles for the kids. W is super easy, she likes lots of stuff - dolls, anything artsy or for writing or crafts, Nerf weapons...K is trickier. He likes hockey sticks and skater shoes. I have a few ideas though; I think some of those perler beads, maybe some dominoes to build things. I'm trying to simplify. 

The man is getting a fancy coffee press and grinder. And some other things, as yet undetermined. 

5 more weeks of school until Christmas break!  Today was a hard day. One of our little (medium) people really lost his shit, and it's become quite clear that we are simply not equipped to serve him. We are teachers, and we are doing a great job, but we are not mental health professionals. It's very frustrating and disheartening and disappointing and sad for everyone involved. 

Going to snuggle my puppy. Or husband. Either way. 

But seriously.

In what universe do toy makers need to put this warning on toys??

Saturday, in the park

Just kidding!  I was at PD all day.  Or, sorry, PL.  Jennifer Katz, she's pretty with it, I'd say.  She's all about UDL (universal design for learning) which is a premise based on the idea that we design buildings to be accessible to all, which makes them better for everyone.  Like ramps, elevators, door opening buttons, braille numbers etc.  In education, it means understanding and building your lessons around the fact that you know you have learners who can't sit still, who can't read, who can't focus for more than 5-7 minutes, who just need that little bit extra.  As she put it, why are we designing lessons and units that we know full well half our class can't do?  Why do the unit plan, and then go back and say ok, for Johnny (poor Johnny is always the example kid) I'll do this, and for Sally, that, and for Beth, this, etc.  It's easier (long term) to think of that stuff and plan around it at the get-go.  More up front, but way less as you go along.

I agreed with like, 94% of what she said.  She feels that 1-1 EAs are not a good thing, unless the child is actually a danger to the other kids.  She also feels that all kids should be in the classroom pretty much all the time, and that kids will just adapt to the noise / threat of violence.  These are things I take issue with, but like I said, overall it was good, and I will buy the books.  And be reimbursed for them, obviously.

But back to the title, it's effing cold out, and I wish it *was* the 4th of July.  For reals.

And, I'm on day ... 4 of no coffee / junk / facebook, and I'm still here!  I'm thinking maybe I'll do like a Sunday morning mocha or latte or something, because that sounds nice.  I'm not missing it at all really, but I do enjoy the sweet latte cappuccino type things.  The candy / chips has been harder because that shit is everywhere this time of year, and will continue to be until like, January.  I'm going to be super strict for a bit, and then ease up a bit.  I'm having homemade treats, just cutting out store bought stuff which is fairly terrible anyway.    

On that note, I think I'll make brownies tonight.

Cleansing.

So. I'm taking a break from a few things. Coffee. I get a headache almost every day, and to be honest, it's become mainly an excuse to mix in hot chocolate and some cream. Not super healthy. Which brings me to my next break: from sugar. Junk, more accurately. Hallowe'en was like a month-long event where there was just candy and chocolate and chips everywhere all the time. I feel gross. I need a break where I eat real food. Gotta tell you though, today was HARD. I've gotten really used to just grabbing a little something like, 25 times a day. Thing 3 is Facebook. It's such a time suck. It's all bragging and complaining and over sharing. Some good, mostly waste. 

This could be interesting. So far, I've gone one day. Let's see if I can do 2!

More TV!

Basically nothing in November.

But December promises a new Toy Story special, AND (more exciting), Buddy the Elf's Musical Chritsmas. I can only hope that he and Zooey will finally reprise their version of Baby it's Cold Outside. Fingers crossed. 

Things dogs do not understand / give a shit about:

(not a comprehensive list)

snow days
time change
snow days immediately following time change

Fwinter

So as Rollo is running around like a crazy person in the snow, and then stopping to sniff each of his footprints on the way back across the yard, I'm thinking, 'cute, he must not remember the snow'. Then I think, holy crap, we've only had this dog 7 months, and there was snow for at least a month after we got him. That's like, 6 months without snow. 

That is not enough time without snow. 

Unless you live in Antarctica. 

I do not. 

Lame. 

C'est l'halloween (hey!)

Had a lovely, fairly quiet evening. The girl child went as a zombie (I score points for her not insisting on being a princess, right?) and the boy was an old man, in a super creepy mask. 

We had fewer than 100 kids, and it had petered out by about 7:45. I was thinking that Friday would be busy, but I assume a lot of the bigger kids (and some of the smallish ones) went to parties and stuff rather than trick or treating. End result is a huge bowl of candy leftovers, that I will eat more of than I want to. 

November is coming in with a bang - we've had a snowfall warning all weekend that kept getting pushed back, but now it's here. Messy freezing rain and snow mix. Hoping that it stops soon and they get it cleared up, or that it goes all night and the busses can stay off the roads. 

Friends and my sister came over last night, and we had a few beverages and played Cards Against Humanity.  On the box, it says "a party game for horrible people". It really is. But it's also incredibly fun. We will be looking to play it again sometime soon.