Bucket List

As I launch into my fortieth year,here are the 40 things on my Bucket List,
in no particular order…

(Note, updated since originally posted)

Trans Siberian Railroad

Semester at Sea (again)

Bike trip in Holland

Family Disneyland Trip (1/15)

Bhutan Adventure

A year in NYC

Elementary Chaplain at an international school

Wind Star Cruise

Tanzania Trip (Kili, Safari, and Zanzibar) - modified to overnight safari somewhere in Africa

Teach 1:1

Try teaching M.S. (2012 - 2013)

My own set of Malmark Handbells (12/2016)

U2 in concert

complete a marathon 10/09

Another Breast Cancer 3-Day

Mom / Wife Excellante

Read all Newberys

Machu Pichu

Transit the Panama Canal

Do our Iran Trip (planned and tried in 2005, but no visa granted - though no visa denied either)

Play in an International Handbell Symposium (summer 2016)

Balloon Fiesta 10/09

Hike the Wonderland Trail majority summer 2000 – completed summer 2008

Ring in Distinctly Bronze 2/10

Pregnant 08 – 09

Deliver via natural childbirth (with the Daddy there would have been preferred)5/09

Breast feed 09 – 10

Drive the Dempster Highway 6/97

Ride on a dog sled (50 miles) 12/97

See the Iditarod in person

Semester at Sea 1995

Work at camp summers of 1991 – 1994

Tour Director in Alaska 1996 – 1999 seasons

Certified Ski Instructor 3/01

Visit all 50 States

Silent Retreat at a monastery 3/01

Ride a camel through the desert 12/06

own home 10/11

See the gorillas in Uganda

Ski in Europe

Expert

My students had a hands-on project they were working on for social studies. This project had many steps, which we had been working on, little bits at a time, for weeks. As students became ready to put it all together I knew, from experience, that they would arrive at vastly different times.

I had finally figured out that I was not going to be the one to try and show each student how to do the 'final assembly'. Instead I showed the first two students who were ready. Subsequent students who wanted to assemble had to ask an 'expert'. It was fantastic to sit back and allow them to rely on one another. I did period spot checks, but mostly I observed the dynamics of people working together. My absolute favorite part was one afternoon when as student was finally ready to put it all together. He declared to the class, "I need an expert." To which three students replied, "I am an expert!"

"Why did it take me so long to figure this out?" I wondered to myself, with an enormous grin on my face.

World Read Aloud Day

Today is World Read Aloud Day. Our entire school stopped this morning to raise awareness about literacy. We all worked to wrap our minds around the idea that there are 793 million illiterate adults in the world. While we were recognizing how blessed we are a poem was read to the entire school and then every student, teacher, and staff member headed out onto the field for some reading time. The rest of the day was up to each teacher, though our superintendent did read aloud to each elementary grade level as a group. What did my day look like?

8 I started I Am In Charge Of Celebrations by Byrd Baylor
8:10 Poem to entire school
8:15 On the field with towels, hats, sunglasses, and books

8:55 Back to our room to finish I Am In Charge Of Celebrations followed by independent reading time
9:30 Grade 5 gathered to hear our superintendent read A Fine, Fine School by Sharon Creech Illustrated by Harry Bliss
9:50 Back to our room for snack followed by independent reading time
10:15 Met with our 2nd grade buddies to read aloud bits of our own writing

10:30 Independent reading
10:55 I read Fox In Socks by Dr. Seuss (One of my all time favorites!)
11:05 recess and lunch
11:45 Our usual time for Read Aloud - currently A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle, which we are listening to an audio recording of while I show the book on the document camera
12:10 Picture books to a partner - Yesterday we made a short detour through the library and I had them each pick a book with only the following instructions, "it must be a picture book you like". Many of them hypothesized we would be reading them with our second graders, but my intent all along was to have them read them to one another, which is what we did. It was great!
1:00 Guest reader - the Middle School Counselor came to read Day of Ahmed's Secret by Florence H. Parry Illustrated by Ted Lewin
1:20 Off to their specials (today P.E. and Arabic)

Now it is the weekend. Yippee!

Granola

I have my grandmother's granola recipe. I love this recipe as it has a basic 'base' recipe and then you can modify it anyway that works for you. I remember helping her make this when I was a child. In addition to spending special time with her I loved the warm clusters, fresh out of the oven, the best. I would 'goodie pick' all the chunks (and she let me!) I don't ever remember eating it as cereal, just standing over the pan in the kitchen and enjoying the special snack we had made.

When I was married my mom gave me a recipe box. One of the recipes was Mater's granola. I hadn't made it since I was a child. At some point I decided that I would make my own cereal, particularly after moving overseas and cereal was $10 or more a box. So now I make granola weekly. It does have to be modified depending on where we live and what is available. (For example, I can't get yeast flakes here so I leave them out.) I also have changed the recipe depending on how I was eating it. For a long chunk of time I ate it with yogurt. During that phase I would add powdered milk. Right now I am eating it with milk therefore I find the powdered milk to be too much.

So, here is what is in the oven right now…

3 cups old fashioned oats
     (Often hard to find overseas and when you can find it, you pay for it.)
1/2 cup wheat flour
1/2 cup wheat germ
1/4 cup honey
     (The original calls for 1/2 cup raw sugar. I switched to honey years ago and have diminished the amount over time. I now find any more than this to be too sweet for me.)
3/4 cup raisins
     (Usually yellow as they are easiest to find here.)
1/2 chopped almonds
1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup water

Mix it all together. Bake (I use my baking stone bar pan) at the lowest temperature I can get my oven (remember it is in Celsius - I think with a Fahrenheit oven I baked it at 200) for about an hour, stirring every 20 minutes.

Enjoy!

What Are You Reading?

March Slice of Life Challenge hosted by Two Writing Teachers

“It’s Monday! What are you Reading?” is hosted by Sheila at Book Journey.
It is a chance for book lovers to share their reading accomplishments as well as what is on the proverbial nightstand. She even does a giveaway. Subsequently Jen and Kellee at Teach Mentor Texts added an opportunity for those reading kidlit to join the fun. Since I read both I will post to both.
Check them out, join the conversations, and discover more great books.

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher*

Yes, I only finished one book this week, but what a book. Have you read Thirteen Reasons Why? If not, and you care about the life of high school students, get your hands on a copy. The book is the story of a high school girl explaining why she commits suicide. The day before she ends her life she makes audio tapes explaining what has happened in her life and how other people have impacted her. After her death the tapes are delivered to the thirteen people who play major roles in the story. Thirteen Reasons Why is told from the perspective of one of these people as they are listening to the tapes. The effect is two first person accounts, the tapes themselves and the one listening to the tapes.

The lesson? Our actions impact others, if we realize it or not.

I think this book would open up important conversations with teenagers. I teach 5th grade. It is not appropriate for them. Do any of you use this book with students? I have coached and mentored high school students. I have found that they appreciate authentic conversations. (Don't we all?) Thirteen Reasons Why does not sugar coat high school life. I think it could be a great opening for dialogue about what is going on in their lives. I encourage you to add it to your list and give it a read.

An * indicates my ‘must own’ list, either for myself or my classroom library.

A chill in the air

I love wearing socks, jeans, and a hoodie. This may sounds like a strange exclamation, but I live in Saudi. Usually my only opportunity for such attire is when my husband has the AC jacked up.

We have been fortunate, however. Since we moved we have actually had ‘winters’. What do I mean by ‘winter’? Anything below 80 is cold. I do realize that cold is relative. For Jeddah, anything below 80 puts people into sweaters and jackets. This year ‘winter’ started in late November and continued into February. We didn’t even bring sweaters with us when we moved. All of my school clothes would be considered summer clothes back home. February came and days started creeping back into the 90s and we all figured we were on our way to summer. There were still a couple of cooler nights, but the sun had its warmth again.

And then I stepped outside yesterday and there was a chill in the air. Seriously. I was in sandals and short sleeves, as always, for school. I was pleasantly surprised to find the wind blew with a touch of cold to it. With this kind of weather we can turn off the AC, open the windows, and enjoy a fresh breeze as opposed to the artificial cooling of an electrical unit. (The only downside being our breeze is usually laced with loads of dust.) And, it wasn’t a one day phenomenon either. Today is the same way. I don’t care how long the reprieve lasts. I am thankful it is here. These are the days I rush home and change into my socks, jeans, and a hoodie. Ah, comfort.

Syrup Fridays

Friday mornings are our family's special time. We have a leisurely morning, which is helped along by my placing a few books and a doll in my daughter's bed before I crash the night before. This usually allows the big people to sleep until 7:30 Friday morning - sleeping in for our house.

We then play and hang out until one of us decides we are hungry. On Fridays our breakfast choices are either pancakes or French toast. Once the decision is made the selection is made by Daddy. This 'Syrup Friday' (though G doesn't get syrup - she has PB and fruit only 'jam') has been modeled for us for years by great friends in Amman, Jordan. They have a special family breakfast each Friday and sometimes we would be invited over to join in. When we moved to Saudi we brought the tradition with us.

Sometimes G helps Daddy or supervises the griddle. It is then her job to set the table. Plates, silverware, napkins, and toppings are gathered in the kitchen and distributed at the table. We then sit down with a steaming plate of yummy breakfast, say the blessing, and enjoy our breakfast.

Once we have finished eating a new tradition has been added. We play games. Uno and Memory are the current favorites with variations of each thrown in for extended family fun. Often there is music playing throughout the morning and always the sun is shining in the window.

Ah, Fridays.