No more broken bones.

It's been almost a week since I last posted. As you know, Deb's Dad was in intensive care on a ventilator. He came off, yesterday. He is doing MUCH better now. It was so good to visit him and talk to him, yesterday.

Just when life was getting a little easier, my "granny" in Florida fell on Thursday and broke her hip. She had a hip replacement on Friday and is doing just fine. For 93, she is one tough cookie.

I have two new students in my program. They are both boys and both a handful. I am calling them the "lost boys" because I am getting the boys that no other teacher wants. It feels like I am getting the children that a general education teacher just can't handle. I love my boys and I love teaching them. It is really tough at times, but I was chosen by a higher power for this position, so I am trying really hard not to complain.

Tom has been mostly gone for two weeks. His team at work have been supporting 9,000 computer systems around the world. It is finally slowing down and I am very grateful for "Chinese New Year" as China sort of shuts down for two weeks.

Here is a late shout out to our "Pookie" who turned 87 last Wednesday. He came over last night for dinner. Alma and Dave Deruntz (Old friends of the family) came as well. It was sad. Dad didn't really know who they were when they first arrived. Once he realized who they were, he started to cry and was embarassed by his forgetfulness. Parts of aging really stink, sometimes.

This week, Becca has a book report due and Laura has a project due on "Medieval Clocks". I have my boys and Tom has his computers.

It's snowing like crazy today, so I am hoping for a snow day tomorrow. The girls have told me to wear my pajamas backwards and throw ice cubes in the toilet. Perhaps I will leave the snow to God and just go to bed.

TTFN

Life

First, I want to send a huge shout out to Scott Janus. Our favorite anesthesiologist in the whole wide world. I hope you had a super day. Sorry to get it to you a little late.

The weekend was CRAZY. Our cadet called and wanted to spend the weekend with us. We love him to death, but Tom was on call with a humongo project and I was sick. To top all of that, Deb Harnly called me Saturday afternoon to tell me that her father had fallen and broken his hip. As a lot of you know, Deb is one of my bestest friends in the whole wide world, so I went to be with her at the hospital. I stayed at the hospital till late in the evening and then came home. Her Dad had surgery Sunday morning. Her Dad did not recover well. As I write this, we are still not sure if he will make it. I stayed at the hospital on Sunday evening until the wee hours of the morning. Yesterday, he almost coded. Today, Deb. says he is a little better, but doesn't really respond to anything. We are not sure how much his elderly, frail body can take. Time will tell.

I had a chance to think while I was helping Deb, last weekend. I thought about how frail my own father is and I am saddened that I can't visit more. I thought about how no matter what you have in this life, all must die. You can't take anything with you. It all comes down to your heart beating one beat at a time and taking one breath at a time. Life is so fragile. One fall and Deb's father's life totally changed. On his way to surgery, he was a bit confused. He told Deb. he was going to a funeral. I hope he isn't right. Please say a prayer for him and his family.

After the long weekend, I am back at school. Tomorrow, I will conduct my first IEP meeting, solo. Our school interventionist is away at a conference, so that leaves me. Say a prayer for me too.

This cold has just about got the best of me. I am going to make dinner and snuggle with my girls.

TTFN

Weekend at last.

Well, it's finally Friday. I still have to go back up to school, but that's because Tom is going to do some computer work for me. I have another new student on my caseload. Autism seems to be the diagnosis that is "in" for children, these days. It fascinates me and truly tires me all in the same sense. I found myself tearful today, in front of my principal as I told her about some of my children. I love them and I feel like they are mine. I suppose they are for a part of every week.

A huge shout out goes to Laura. She had her first basketball game, yesterday. Her team won and she personally made a basket. I was mighty proud!!! I am so glad that she has found a sport that she truly likes. She just needs to learn to hussle a little more on the court.

No more itchies for Becca. Thank goodness. She got selected for the major school play, this year. She will be an orphan in "Annie". I think she was a little disappointed that she didn't get a major role, but she is just so very quiet. She is definitely the "drama queen" at home, but those of you who know her, know that she doesn't say a word in public, unless she is prodded.

I found myself thinking of the Janus' today. Jen is about to give birth to their baby girl. I was such a part of the birth of the boys and I miss them so much. Good luck Jen, Scott and my two favorite twins in the whole world!

I came home early today, so Becca is taking full advantage with lots of questions, answers and small talk. I think she needs some attention.

Love to you all.

One down and three to go.

I conducted my first IEP meeting today. I must say, I think I did a good job. Now, on to more paperwork for three more kids. I am certainly learning how to push a lot of paper.

The lice situation is all better now. I am still washing Becca's hair and combing it with the special comb, every night. We will do the final wash on Thursday. My house has never been cleaner.
Thanks for the comments. It sounds like lots of people have had lice, but it still FREAKS ME OUT!!!

I gave two lessons this evening and now I am on to dinner, laundry and helping the girls with homework. I have yet more paperwork to get started on.

Bye for now.

Itchies

I have blogged a lot more this week, but I haven't posted since last Wednesday. We had a bit of a problem going on. Becca got up for her first day back to school on Thursday. She told Tom that she had found a bug in her hair. Sure enough, she had many bugs in her hair. She had LICE!!!!! We have NEVER had to deal with this at our house and I have no idea where she picked up the little things. I cancelled my students on Thursday and we washed EVERYTHING. We vacumed EVERYTHING, then changed the bag. We sealed up all of Becca's toys where they will remain for the next two weeks. We sprayed everything with a lice spray. We ALL washed our hair in RID. It took me almost 2 hours to comb out Becca's long blonde hair. I was extra careful to ensure that I left NOTHING in her hair. By Friday, all was well, but we spent $50.00 at a laundry mat, yesterday, washing blankets, pillows, coats, etc. My house is extra clean and nobody is itching. I truly hope the crisis is over. If any of you have suggestions on anything else we need to do, just let me know.

My meetings on Friday went very well. We were all saddened by a shooting that occurred in my school district. Two of our high school students were killed. With that plastered all over the local news, our school interventionist was on call. Two of my four parents showed up. The SPED administrator came, as well as my pricinpal. My parents were angry about a situation with administration. During the coarse of the meeting they voiced how pleased they were to have me as their teacher. I was humbled. The week was so very tough, but God is good.

It's Sunday and I am preparing for yet another parent meeting next week. I want to be rested and prepared, but I am not fearful. I guess I am growing and learning. Bye the way, I got my report card for last semester and I got an A. I guess an old dog can learn new tricks.

TTFN
Shari

Tired

Today was just plain tough. I took it one moment at a time. Things just kept happening and all of my kids seem to go off. Maybe there is snow tomorrow or maybe I was just overwhelmed. No matter, the day marched on and so did I. There are things going on with my students and my parents that I simply am not allowed to post on a blog, but I wanted to note what an interesting day this was. The day was so crazy, I barely got to teach. I was called into meeting after meeting and all of them were tense. Finally, at the end of the day, I got a call from the BCBA for our district. She is the behavior specialist that gets paid a lot of money to tell me how to handle my students. I don't know what I would do without her. She told me that one of my students parents had called her and asked that I be protected from all that is going on. Her words were "Shari loves those kids and we love her." I am humbled and the mom is right. I do love my kids. I think that I share a special bond with them as day in and day out, we share the good and the bad on a higher plain than I would with the normal student. I would ask that all of you just say a little prayer for me. I know I am doing a good job and so do the parents of my students.

I went to the TMJ specialist and I don't need braces. Yeah!! My right jaw joint is out of whack, but can be fixed by me wearing a splint full time for a month or so and then just at night. I am so glad.

I am off to bed or maybe the hot tub so that I can end this crazy day. I am hoping for much better tomorrow.

One bite at a time.

One bite at a time. If you are a violin student of mine, you know that I say this a lot. This is how I try to live my insanely busy life. One bite at a time. That is how to eat a whale, by the way. I kept telling myself this today as it just got crazier and crazier at work. My computer has not worked for two days. The bad thing is, I don't know the work I am missing. The good thing is, I don't know the work I am missing. I am just taking the grand whale of work, one bite at a time.

Tom was home with the girls today. Casey was to come over, but he couldn't get a pass. Tom is wiring our basement so that Casey's corner of the basement will have an outlet. I love how handy and smart my husband is. The girls helped Tom along and enjoyed one of the last days of their vacation. The girls go back to school on Thursday.

I was successful in eating healthy food and getting up at 6:00. Tomorrow, I will go for 5:45. Tomorrow evening I have an appointment with a TMJ Specialist to see why my jaw joints are so painful.

Happy Tuesday.

Mondays after vacation are TOUGH!!!

Well, I did it. I survived the day. I was so overwhelmed today, at school. I have a new student, files are being audited, I don't have enough paras, I have so much paperwork to do it's not funny, but God is good and I made it through the day. I keep telling myself that I am lucky to have a job, so I better stop complaining about the one I have been given. Let's see, something good that happened today. Oh yeah, Becca greeted me at the door with a gigantic hug. Tom kissed me hello. I stuck to my low cal foods today. I got up at 6:15 after this long vacation. I heard encouragement from Jen Janus. My mom called to tell me thanks for pictures and how pretty my children are. I am loved.

An interesting thing happened this evening as I was giving a violin lesson to one of my favorite little boys. He looked at me and asked "Mrs. Russell, do you call giving violin lessons "work"?" I realized that I do not. I just say that I am "giving a lesson". I have never called it work. I think when you are doing something you love, it does not seem like work. I wonder if teaching SPED will ever not seem like work.

There now, peace and gratitude at the end of this day. Maybe it wasn't so bad after all.

Happy New Year

Happy New Year everyone. I hope some of you got my Christmas newsletter and have decided to check things out. I have made a comittment to try and keep this updated again. Things have been crazy during the last six months. I feel like my life has been a complete whirlwind.

As you all know, I started school both as a teacher and as a student, last August. I am still adjusting to both. I apologize to those of you who are keeping up with us via this blog. I have been overwhelmed and just too busy to write. I hope to do a better job next year.

One thing that fell by the way side, last fall, is my exercising. I have vowed to exercise at least three times per week, this year. I want to do as many 5ks as my school scedule will allow. Both Tom and I have some weight to lose and I think the girls will benefit from a more healthy lifestyle too.

Both of the girls are fine. Becca and Laura are enjoying their winter break and both do not look forward to going back to school. As for me, I start tomorrow. It is bittersweet. I look forward to seeing my students, but I do not look forward to the paperwork and stress ahead.

Please check in often.