Thursday, April 30, 2015

Abby's First Haircut






Abby got her first haircut today.  Initially she was hesitant when we talked to her about it, but today she told us she was ready to get a haircut, so off we went!  She was very good, listened to the person cutting her hair, and stayed pretty still.  Most importantly, she is happy about the experience!

Tuesday, April 21, 2015

Muster

It was Judgment Day in Aggieland
And tenseness filled the air;
All knew there was a trip at hand,
But not a soul knew where.

Assembled on the drill field
Was the world-renowned Twelfth Man,
The entire fighting Aggie team
And the famous Aggie Band.

And out in front with Royal Guard
The reviewing party stood;
St. Peter and his angel staff
Were choosing bad from good.

First he surveyed the Aggie team
And in terms of an angel swore,
“By Jove, I do believe I’ve seen
This gallant group before.

I’ve seen them play since way back when,
And they’ve always had the grit;
I’ve seen ‘em lose and I’ve seen ‘em win,
But I’ve never seen ‘em quit.

No need for us to tarry here
Deciding upon their fates;
Tis plain as the halo on my head
That they’ve opened Heaven’s gates.”

And when the Twelfth Man heard this,
They let out a mighty yell
That echoed clear to Heaven
and shook the gates of Hell.

“And what group is this upon the side,”
St. Peter asked his aide,
“That swelled as if to burst with pride
When we our judgment made?”

    “Why, sir, that’s the Cadet Corps
That’s known both far and wide
For backing up their fighting team
Whether they won, lost or tied.”

“Well, then,” said St. Peter,
“It’s very plain to me
That within the realms of Heaven
They should spend eternity.

And have the Texas Aggie Band
At once commence to play
For their fates too we must decide
Upon this crucial day.”

And the drum major so hearing
Slowly raised his hand
And said, “Boys, let’s play The Spirit
For the last time in Aggieland.”

And the band poured forth the anthem
In notes both bright and clear
And ten thousand Aggie voices
Sang the song they hold so dear.

And when the band had finished,
St. Peter wiped his eyes
And said, “It’s not so hard to see
They’re meant for Paradise.”

And the colonel of the Cadet Corps said
As he stiffly took his stand,
“It’s just another Corps Trip, boys,
We’ll march in behind the band.”


Today is the day we recognize the Aggies we have lost in the prior year.  Since they are not able, we answer "Here" for them when their name is called.  It is one of our most cherished Aggie traditions, and an example of why we love being Aggies.

Friday, April 17, 2015

Testing Anxiety

Testing Anxiety is something I have always had to deal with. I first recognized it for what it was when I was in high school. But it was not really bad until I was in college at A&M. With me paying for everything myself and not wanting to disappoint Ray or myself, I put more pressure on myself to do better to maintain a certain average etc. I would wake up before several hours before the alarm would ever go off. I would be nauseated and I also developed my taste for coffee at this time staying up late studying as much as a could. I thought with my graduation from A&M in 2002 that that would all be behind me and I would never have those stressful moments any longer... well I was wrong.


As a teacher of 8th grade student facing the STAAR test next week all of those anxieties have come rushing back! For the last two weeks I wake before the alarm goes off, I do not sleep well, and lets just say there is never enough time in the day to do everything I need to fulfill my multiple roles in life as a teacher, mother, wife, etc. not to mention there is absolutely no alone time at all at this point.


I can honestly say I have done all I can for the students I teach to prepare them for next week. I hope and pray they do well and that my efforts will shine through, but alas it is up to them and the efforts they themselves have put forth that will truly be reflected.


One day I hope that we can move from a high stakes testing environment/culture to one of diagnostics that is used to guide the curriculum and implementation practices of content for student success. I do not believe a test can accurately represent what a student understands or has mastered. I do not care to look at a test score, I would rather see a well rounded student who is a productive member of their community.

April Showers Bring Sweet Memories

I loved steeping out into the night last night to listen to all the wild life and the music they make. All the rain where we lived pushed all the frogs, crickets, etc. out of their hiding spots and the noises they made took me back to memories of my childhood living in St. Martinville, Louisiana.


Living in St. Martinville was a great experience as a child getting because we lived with the Bayou in our backyard. I loved the fishing, boating, swimming, and just hearing the music from the wildlife off the Bayou at night. I used to sit out in the yard at night or open my bedroom window to watch the lightning bugs and listen to the night sounds.


As a child I would run around and we played for endless hours outside. I would pick the clover blooms and create crowns out of them to wear on my head. I even made a crown with an attached veil to wear as I envisioned myself a princess. I even remember making a rosary out of them once and it was so big that it took up a large portion of the yard outside of Granny's house.


Sweet Memories...



Sunday, April 5, 2015

Thursday, April 2, 2015

Emma's Easter Party










Emma had her Easter party at school today and had a blast!  They hunted for eggs that were numbered 1-12, and they had to find one of each of them to help them with their counting.  They then formed a circle and played Duck Duck Goose, choosing the goose by breaking a confetti egg over the person's head and running from them.  Lastly, they went back inside to enjoy a lot of treats.  Emma had fun with her friends and was excited to get home with Abby so they could sort their candy together and put together candy bags for their Mommy and me.