Show NO FEAR!

That was the advice I was given when I told my friend I would be teaching a class for the next 9 weeks full of 6-8th graders. I thought it good advice...now to follow through. Give me some guidance here...how exactly do you NOT show fear? I was also given the advice that if I DID show fear then to own it and to wear it. I guess I'm covered either way. I must have a mental defect though to take on such a project. The idea is to facilitate a group of middle schoolers to investigate a needy community, understand a need, propose an individual service learning solution then carry it out. Meaning each kid will be in charge of his/her own project and I get to facilitate. Crazy much? Yes. I put together a nice academic worthy course goal sheet for approval (even quoted Utah core curriculum and had Brenda revise for me) And my feedback? Wasn't this supposed to be about service? *laugh* Why yes, yes it was. Something much more ambiguous and uneasy to assess. Not to mention plan a curriculum for. But yes service. Service, service that empowers, meaningful service, service that changes people. Not the least of which the one who did it. Sometimes it's the intangibles that count in education...and sometimes you can't map that curriculum. And sometimes that might give someone an ulcer. :) Um...no I'm not afraid of no middle schoolers. :)

Field Trip--Savanna Style!

I broke the rules and took Ethan on Savanna's field trip. I feel justified, though, as I was not allowed (or tortured) to ride the bus and I had to pay my own way, so why not...it's Dinosaur Park after all.

Here comes the bus!

Standing in line.(She did her own hair today!)

Digging for bones.

No fear...nope no fear at all.

(Actually the little girl on the right had fear. She looked as if she would cry when she heard all the dinosaur sounds and first saw the mighty lizards. I assured her that they were just pretend. She worriedly asked if I was sure and when I said yes, she looked at me with a look of disgust and a said, in a normal but somewhat disillusioned voice, 'I was hoping they were real!'.

Stylin' posing!The most DANGEROUS Creatures in the world!

Waiting...

Savanna's most excellent teacher.

A class that roars.

I'm sorry I put 120 miles on your car.

You've seen those books right? Something grandly magnificent or horrible happens all because you let the fly in? Well this is what I told my sister today.

I'm sorry I put 120 miles on your car.

Yesterday my car went up in plumes of steam and radiator stench...twice. A few days before I bottomed out on a weird driveway. The two scenarios couldn't possibly related could they?

Well the answer is I don't know. It seems that it was a bad day at Tunex...mechanics out and no room in the parking lot. I took my car in at 10:00 and at 5:30 the official word was.

"We didn't get a chance to look at your car yet, do you want to come get it?"

Um... are you crazy? This car has problems. It needs to be fixed. And it may need therapy. No, thank you, I think I'll leave it there.

Meanwhile...life goes on. School starts, band instruments must be obtained. The nasty 70 buck per month--6 month minimum rental agreement from the local music store got me thinking. Perhaps there is another way. YES there IS another way. I arrange to buy said instrument in a town merely 25 minutes away but upon calling to confirm I was indeed on my way...which he knew from the emails we exchanged, I found out he was a double dealer. Yep apparently he had someone else on their way to pick it up as we spoke. Either that or he was terribly confused and thought I (AS SCHEDULED) was on my way and my alter ego wanted to buy it first. Whatever. So short story long, I drove 2 1/2 hours today and put 120 miles on my sisters car to buy ANOTHER beautiful instrument. Thanks Joan--I owe you BIG!

I am now the proud owner of a tenor saxophone...and Tim gets to use it.

So maybe I'm OCD

{OCD} Kat's definition:

Obsessive...Compulsive...Direction


I tend to like to learn new things. And when I learn new things I tend to be a bit obsessive about the process. And then if I like what I'm learning I tend to have a compulsion about delving into said subject with even greater gusto. And then my direction (for the time being) is plowing through, nothing wavering and straight on 'til morning.

(I'm pretty sure this is a quality that on some level drives my dear sweet husband nuts...thanks for hanging in there with my honey.) In my defense...I don't think this is necessarily a BAD quality...it can just take those around you by surprise and maybe give them a little whiplash when all the sudden you are 'totally into' something new.


So what is my latest OCD? Blog reading. I blame you...you know who you are...the ones that got me all psyched about this blogging thing anyway. :) Thank you. I've been enjoying myself immensely.


What kind of blogs have you been reading? You ask. Oh this, that, the other...and several on education. If you know me that is a hot topic and has been an OCD of mine with hot and cold moments for years. I have strong opinions on the subject and regularly bore my friends with my ideas. (Thanks for still being my friend...you know who you are.)


My educational philosophy is basic.

'Don't let schooling get in the way of your education'.

I inherited this philosophy from my father. He is an educated and a wise man.

To me, it means...that learning moments are all around us. There is really no time or place that learning cannot occur. Some of these things are 'academic' some are 'lilfe skills' and some are from the school of 'hard knocks'. You would 'think' that certain types of learning might be more likely to occur in a school setting as opposed to a home setting, but that is not always true.

This philosophy is especially important to me because I have 5 kids whom I'm educating. It is my (& that dear sweet husband of mine's) responsibility to ensure they have the 'education' to be successful in the world. I most want my kids to have a LOVE of learning. I think they do. I am especially pleased that this love is being nurtured at school and home this year.

Alot of the blogs I have read are homeschooling blogs. I think blogging is a great way to show the product of learning. It has been very interesting reading these blogs because they have given me lots of ideas. And I LOVE ideas. In a way you could say that our family is a homeschooling family, though perhaps in an untraditional way. Untraditional in that my kids do go to an organized school, traditional because we still try to 'learn' in the moment. I'm guessing that this is not unique to our family but it is a fun way to be. Ideas happen...and when they happen I think you should hold on to them...inspect them....look at them upside down and sideways...then see where they lead.

I love when my kids get an idea and we can go all out and explore all the facets of it. My latest example was with Savanna and Ethan. We are headed to the Grand Canyon in a few weeks as a family...in preparation we have read a bunch of books on the subject, talked about how canyons are made and what erosion is. Savanna can tell you that erosion is caused by wind or water and she is excited to look for the animals that we might see there. I hope that the actual trip will be a bit more exciting now that she knows that the different colors in the rocks are actually different layers...and that in SOME of the layers lie fossils. Fossils sounded pretty dang cool to Savanna.

Savanna made my day while were exploring the Grand Canyon...she said, 'Mom, I love it when you are my teacher.' Man talk about an ego boost. It brought to my mind this quote by

M. Russell Ballard:

"Recognize that the joy of motherhood comes in moments. There will be hard times and frustrating times. But amid the challenges, there are shining moments of joy and satisfaction. "

DESPITE all those times that the 'moments' where frustrating, challenging or anything BUT shining...isn't it great when that small sunbeam breaks through? THAT is what IT is all about.