Livin' Like a Pioneer

So, the big bad snow storm came through this past weekend.  What was originally forecast as slight flurries reared its ugly head as a full-blown blizzard.  We had 13 straight hours of rain followed by 13 hours straight of snow and crazy wind.  Somewhere in the middle of all that, our electricity went out.  It was 1:45pm Monday when they performed their final flicker and shut off.  Mom and I were home alone, but Dad was coming later that afternoon/evening.  It's now Friday night.  That means we are working on the 5th day of no power.  Now, it's really not as bad as it could be.  We have a fireplace.  We have a generator.  What we don't have is lights, hot water, and major appliances used for cooking...oh! and a heater.  The refrigerator is plugged into the generator so as not to lose the groceries.  Being without the "amenities" makes you learn about yourself.  Mom and I didn't have the amenities for the first day.  The following are some of the things I have learned about myself:

1) I am hot-natured person.  Even with no heat, I have only being "freezing" once or twice through the whole ordeal.  {And that may or may not have been while I was running around in the previous mentioned blizzard to a) check on the chickens, b) take pictures of said blizzard, c) put phone on the charger in my car, and d) call the goofball dogs in from running halfway across the property to play in the snow.  Because, obviously, the snow 400 yards away is a million times better than the snow right by the house.}  Anyways...I digress.

2) Mom and I could TOTALLY rough it...{for awhile}.  We had no idea where the generator was.  Even if we did, we didn't know how to run the sucker, so it really didn't matter.  We lit a couple of candles, broke out a package of hot dogs, and roasted away.  We also played UNO until the dimming lights made it impossible to distinguish between blue and green.

3) I am really, REALLY not interested in taking a freezing cold shower.  I have had to do it before.  I lived in an RV for a couple of years and it happened.  But the thought of taking an icy cold shower then having to walk into a severely cold house just wasn't something I looked forward to at all.  So, I put it off as long as I could.  Surprise, surprise!!!!  There was enough hot water sitting in the tank for all three of us to take a hot/warm shower.  {So, I took one.  Now I'm dreading the next.}

4) I'm not a sock-wearer.  One night, my toes felt frozen solid.  When I went to bed I put socks on.  I'm still not really sure where they are.  All I know is they were not on my feet when I woke up.  I think I'm like Pippi Longstocking in that respect.  I like my toes to be free to wiggle and breathe. {I also don't like the covers to be tucked into the bottom of the bed.  Makes my feet feel claustrophobic.}

5) My mom and I are hilarious.  Not just a little funny.  We could have our own comedy routine, and become very, very famous.  Famous like Larry the Cable Guy...or Jeff Foxworthy.  {Or not.}

Anyways, the darkness is closing in and typing is getting a tad difficult.  And I think it's my turn to grab a log for the fire.

Will Work for...Carrots?

Remember back in the day when your parents would want you to do something, and they'd offer you some small reward?  In our house, my dad would request a 30 minute back rub for a penny a minute.  Gee, thanks, Dad...a whole thirty cents.  As we got older, the price per minute got higher.  First, to a nickel, then a dime...until today.  I think if he asked for a back rub, I'd probably look up the going rate for a half hour massage, knowing he wouldn't pay that, and get out of it.

So, I said all of that to ask you this.  What motivates you?  There are very few people who are willing to do something for nothing.  I'm not really talking about doing good deeds.  I'm talking about doing work, of any kind.  Like just about everybody else, my students do NOT like to work.  Those creative little guys come up with a lot of ways to get out of work.   From picking the absolute longest song at circle time (Apples and Bananas...Jacob picks it every time.  It has a two and a half minute introduction that involves a grown man singing "banana" with a mouth full of banana.  Classy.), to crawling into a "safe place" and falling into such a deep sleep that a train could race through and he'd still sleep through it, (Kody does this often.  He snores, too.  Like an old man.  He sleeps like the dead.), to running away (see "Kason" in A Day in the Life).

They find so many ways to get OUT of work, that we have to really work hard at getting them to work.  Out general go-to is treats.  Candy, juice, cookies--that sort of thing.  Some of them will only work for those things for a minute or two.  They get distracted easily and move-on quickly.  One of my boys will do anything to be able to use the iPad for a minute or two.

We were working on an experiment with Pedro the other day.  It was the experiment where you put celery and carrots in colored water and compare how water travels through the two different plants.  We could barely get the veggies in the jars without Pedro trying to take a bite out of them.  He successfully chomped a carrot before we could get it in the jar.  1 out of 6.  Not too bad.

We had some other work to do, so since he seemed to want them so bad, we cut up a carrot and a celery stalk to use as a reward for working.  He worked fantastically well for me.  I was so impressed with how hard he worked for veggies.  Would you work for a carrot.  When you were in high school, would you have done something for a carrot?  How about when you were ten?  Let's say that you were a hypothetical multi-kazillion-aire, and didn't have to work if you didn't want to.  Would you for a carrot?  I know I probably wouldn't.

If there is one thing I have learned from being in this classroom for the last 18 weeks, it is this:  BE THANKFUL FOR THE SIMPLE THINGS.  I get so busy that I forget to see the seasons change, Jacob notices each tiny change to each tiny leaf or blade of grass.  I talk all the time, and quite honestly, many times, I talk about nothing.  Wasted words.  In my classroom, we celebrate words--spoken words, signed words, written words.  I walk down the halls everyday with complete faith that the floor--carpet, tile, wood--are going to provide the stability to take the next step.  One of my boys is terrified to cross thresholds.  Switching from carpet to tile really throws him.  He has to be coaxed onto the tile, and he holds onto the wall like a life-preserver as he goes.  He is also scared to get off the school bus.  The gap between the last step and the concrete curb is traumatizing to him.  I never even think about it.  I never go to bed wondering if my arms will still work in the morning.  Eric does.  When we're on the playground, he will sometimes look at the kids in the other classes and say things like "I used to play soccer, huh?"  or "Kristen, remember when we walked to the park?  I used to walk, huh?"  It's heartbreaking.  As his muscles continue degenerating, he will eventually lose use of other limbs beside his legs.  I wonder sometimes if he goes to bed at night thinking about it.  Will tomorrow be the day?  We take so many things for granted every single day.

I am so very thankful for the opportunity to work with these boys.  They have taught me to appreciate every single thing in the day.  Even the bad days have many things to be thankful for.

The more I think about it, the more I think that were I the hypothetical multi-kazillion-aire, I would like to think that I would still go to work every day.  I love {almost} every second of it!

A Three Day Weekend

I was soooo ready for the three day weekend.  I had grand plans for what I was going to do...I didn't do any of them.  There's still a few hours, though.  We'll see what happens!  (Probably nothing!)_

A Monday is a Monday is a Monday

Today was my first official Monday as a teacher.  I feel like saying it was Monday should be description enough.  I mean, seriously, who really does Mondays.  I sure wish I didn't have to.  Apparently, some of my students don't either.  We had some serious meltdowns, today.  Wowza!  "Weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth" is a actually a most accurate description of our Monday.

During some of our most intense moments of meltdown, our new speech pathologist came for a visit.  Poor woman.  We really did not make a very welcoming group.  I also had a visit from the local VoTech because some of her LPN students complete practicums in our room.  Nothing like finding out that you're getting "observed" in your second week of school!  I did manage to talk her into coming in after our students were dismissed.  YAY!

Overall, I am just glad to have survived my first Monday.  We did actually get to work with some of the kids one-on-one and it was pretty productive.  We are still short one aide for another week, so we are stretched a little bit thin.

Looking forward to another great week.

Thanks for reading!