Five for Fraturday

I made it through my first week back at school after our Thanksgiving break.

I would like to thank my Keurig and the cooperative weather for this accomplishment.

It was actually a really great week because we *finally* got into long vowels. I love moving away from the short vowels. Not that there’s anything wrong with being short, mind you, but I was ready for something new.

Although, after I had done this big ole lesson and told my personal story of being in first grade and sitting next to a wall just like this one (I pointed to a wall for emphasis) and not understanding the difference between long and short vowels whatsoever, and thinking it meant the word had to be super long like supercalifragilisticexpialidocious, and after we sang Heidi’s Bossy E song, and even after we had picture cards and all sorts of fun and engagement (if I do say so myself and apparently, I do), one of my boys raised his hand and asked, “When are we going to be done reviewing what we learned in kindergarten?”

Yep.

I suck.

So.

Here’s how the rest of my week went:

One of my girls just returned from India and she brought me goodies. I love the pen and the box and the elephant. Look at the elephant! LOVE. The bracelets are amazing; however, I think her parents think I’m little-er than I actually am because I can’t get them on past my knuckles. Not happening. And I want to wear them. I really do. So now they’re sitting in the box. Dang it.

Murphie. She is watching TV while in exile.

She has two days left of her no-play, no-jump, no-run recovery period. She will get her stitches out on Monday and then we are taking her to daycare so she can play with her friends and get into all manner of trouble. I cannot wait. Then we are taking her to the park so she can chase her beloved birds.

Don’t worry. She has never harmed a bird. They fly. She doesn’t.

I know that 46 degrees is not cold to most of you out there, especially with Icemageddon everywhere, but it is cold where I live. Cold. Look at the low temperature! BRRRRRR. It’s raining, too, which makes me extremely happy because now I have an excuse to hibernate and eat comfort food and not go for a run. Not that I would go for a run if it was sunny, but now I really and truly just can’t. I mean, it’s raining outside, for heaven’s sake.

Oh man. Literally. My last name is not Oldman. But this parent thinks it is.

This is why I have last name envy. Oldham becomes Oldman very quickly, apparently.

I once told you guys a story about our duty schedule and I’m gonna tell it again.

The new duty schedule appeared in our boxes and I got out my highlighter to highlight my name everywhere it appeared. I’m a nerd, I know. So as I’m going through highlighting, I came to Oldman three times. THREE TIMES.

So I went to our secretary and I said, “I see that I don’t have duty on three different weeks.”

And she said, “That can’t be right.”

To which I replied, “Well, it looks like some old man is going to do it for me.”

Turns out, that old man never came and I had to fill in for him. Goshdarnit.

I don’t have a picture of this one.

But my 5th thing this week is LISTENING TO CHRISTMAS MUSIC.

I love it. I love Christmas music. I love this time of year. I love love love it.

My favorite Christmas song is The First Noel.

A close second is Mary, Did You Know? because my nephew, Jake, loves to sing that song and he is supposed to be this tough, tall, basketball playing, surly teenager, but he’s not. Especially when he breaks out into this song.

What’s your favorite Christmas carol?

Alright. I’m off to read a book. I read Elizabeth Berg’s new novel, Tapestry of Fortunes last weekend (so good – highly recommend it) and now I have the bug to read again. I just downloaded The Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline a few nights ago and I’m hooked.

Okay. If you don’t hear from me again, I am perfectly fine. I have to stay inside today. It’s rainy and cold.

Duh.

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Comments

Mrs. Glick says

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My maiden name is Oldham……hardest name for people ever! It either becomes Oldman or "Oh your name is Oldham? Like Old….Ham?" UGH!
Miss Kindergarten says

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Awww Oldman!!! I'm sorry but that made me laugh out loud!
Kimberley says

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Dear Mrs. OldMan, I love when you share what books you are reading. How do you hear about them? I just put Orphan Train on my wish list. It takes place in MAINE. Were you missing me? Loving Shell Seekers. Love your posts.

Kimberley
First in Maine
Kelsey says

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I get the last name envy…my maiden name was Nord…very easy to change to "nerd." Sorry, Mrs. "Oldman"!

Regarding Christmas songs: Have you every heard "His Favorite Christmas Story" by Capital Lights? Listen to it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxPENnSuNQw
I cry every time I hear it…but I'm a crier.
As far as classics go, my fave is "O Holy Night."
KinderCoaster
Love, Laughter and Learning in Prep! says

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I love Christmas music, too. My favourite is 'Oh Come All Ye Faithful', or maybe 'Hark, the Herald Angels Sing'.

If your class loves Christmas music you should play them 'Six White Boomers' for a little bit of international fun. (It's an Australian Christmas song about Santa flying his sleigh with 6 big kangaroos.) 🙂

Lauren
Love, Laughter and Learning in Prep!
Maria G. says

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I just wanted to say again how much I enjoy reading your blog. My last name is Gilles (pronounced Jills) so no one gets my name right — it's either Gills (like on a fish) or Jiles or Gillis as in Dobie Gillis — hahaha.

I love Christmas music too — I have too many "favorites" to name. =)

Enjoy staying warm inside! Have a great weekend.
Kerri and Lindsay says

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It IS cold, man!! How am I going to wear my TOMS in this weather?? Looks like I may have to bust out some boots-ewww.
Glad you survived your first week back. Me too. Only 2 left!!
Traci - Dragonflies in First says

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Hey Old Man! ;P It's freakin' freezing!! I thought for sure that rain this weekend would be snow! Hahaha! Murphie is making me feel VERY sorry for her!
Crayons and Whimsy says

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I once bought bracelets that didn't fit on my hand… um, pretty sure I had my hand with me when I was shopping so I have zero excuses…. at least these people were in a different country and you are teeny tiny and all that 🙂
Christy
Crayons and Whimsy

P.S. It is so cold here I think I may die..we Californians are pretty bad at this whole cold thing! At least you have the beautiful fire pit to enjoy and thaw you out.
CarolP says

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Kristin- You make me laugh! My maiden name was Firby- I got all kinds of fun names with that one (mostly – FURBUTT!). My favorite Christmas Carol is is Mary Di You Know- I can't help but crying every time I hear the line- Mary did you know when you kissed the face of Jesus that you kissed the face of God (or something close to those words- my interpretation). We introduced long vowels this week too- I really laughed when you told me what the boy said. Especially since this time in the year we are all so far beyond what they learned in kindergarten. 🙂 I live about an hour east of Bakersfield & there was morning this week it was 17 degrees when I was driving to school! I've felt like I was going to freeze to death all week. I think Monday was close to 70 degrees last week & then this!!! Have a great two weeks until break! Carol
Miss Kristan King says

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Kristin – you will think I'm crazy but today in CO it's a balmy 17 degrees!! I say balmy because on Thurs. the temps dropped from 50s & 40s to 6, as in ONE DIGIT!! Then they stayed there & we didn't get a snow day on Friday & everyone else did, even the district that NEVER calls it {we always call snow days}. So we had indoor recess Th. & Fri with temps at a high of 6, at 9am…that means most of the day was 0 or below!

So today on my way home from church (I go on Sun. still) my mom & I were chatting about how "warm" it was, clear skies, & 17 degrees!!! Geesh…17 degrees feels WARM when you've been in -12s and -17s.

Hope you are enjoying your reading! Merry Christmas.
Carolyn Kisloski says

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I loved your post as usual! Mary, Did You Know is my favorite , too. I cry- just like Carol up above. It is such a sweet song. As of this year, we now have Mrs. Kisloski (me), Mrs. Koslowski, and Mrs. Kerkoski teaching. My yearbook picture to edit came back with my class and Mrs. Koslowski's picture in the middle. She is young and cute, so I was ok with just leaving her there. 🙂 Stay cozy!
Heidi Butkus says

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Ha ha ha ha! You are always so funny! Thanks for the shout out- AGAIN! You are so good to me!
And as far as last names go, nothing could be as bad as mine- BUTKUS. Go ahead, you do "the math!" LOL! Well, at least I didn't have to grow up with it. It's my married name. My husband says that it is a good thing that we didn't have any sons, because now the misery will die out with our generation (except he has a brother with a son, but that's HIS problem!!!) 🙂
I LOVE Christmas carols, too! I walk my doggies every day, and sing my little heart out while I'm walking, and this time of year, it's Christmas carols. One day as I walked, a neighbor commented that he missed my singing that day! Ha! I was listening to a new song that I didn't know. Oh well!
My favorite these days is "Welcome Christmas" from How the Grinch Stole Christmas. I like the Glee Cast version! I like to substitute the words "Baby Jesus" for "davu dores" or whatever nonsense words they are singing at that particular moment. "Jesu, Jesu," also fits in there nicely!
Heidi
JanCT says

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I have a few different Christmas carols. Believe it or not, We Three Kings is currently my favorite. There are words in it I never noticed before!

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