Christmas break is just around the corner, finals are in for college, grades are in for students, Christmas cards are done and getting mailed today...What the heck is wrong with me??
I want to take the time to tell everyone to have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
When does education step on what is right?? Do we as educators have the right to use material that is not school appropriate to teach a lesson?? When does freedom of expression go to far??
This is what is going on the new English teacher decided to teach his English Comp I class about advertisement and talk about what is OK and what is not, basically the sex sales side of advertisement. I think this is a great thing for the dual credit English comp class that is about to be thrown out in the real world and thinking outside the box, not for freshman who are trying to figure out their own bodies and their place in the world.
He had the students bring in the most sexy most racy adds that they could find that was trying to sale a product. He then posted the ads in his class room, OK its his classroom, he then put up an huge college in the hallway (his classroom is located in the Freshman hallway) with alcohol and nearly naked or completely naked people on them.
Here is my problem, I don't like the fact that we expose our children to all of this crap on a daily basis anyway without anyway to protect them, but must they sit in a classroom and look at pictures of what society thinks is the perfect body for 90 min. and then must it be placed outside that classroom where there is no guidance to what is being viewed just what they see??
Is it appropriate to tell our students that they can't dress a certain way and then post material that is not school appropriate for viewing? Is it right to censor poster that the student create but allow information to be posted without guidance?
When does educating our students cross the line??
Just some pictures of the family from Jacob's 18th Birthday party
Jacob, Cassie (Jake's girlfriend) Hunter (Jake's step-brother)
Allissa and Kaylee
Alex and Allissa acting silly
Jacob hanging out
Alex and KayleeThis last Sunday I had the privilege of spending time with some really amazing people. United States American soldiers and their families. I had the privilege of serving them a meal with the All American Beef Battalion. This particular group is scheduled to deploy in December but some of them had already been overseas for prior deployments.
I felt honored to serve them for one day since they serve us the other 364. I know that I am not made out of the material it would take to be a military spouse and I am amazed at the strength that these people have, not only the soldiers that fight for our freedom but those left at home praying for the safety of their loved ones.
The All American Beef Battalion is trying to serve every soldier with a steak meal and with the help of donations they are well under way, they ask for volunteers to help serve the food, Kyle and Duane where in charge of serving steaks for the day. They where scheduled to feed 900 on this particular day.
The rotisserie grill that they use holds 400 steaks. This was the best steak that I have ever eaten.
Life Is A Gift
Life is an opportunity, …. benefit from it.
Life is beauty, …. admire it.
Life is bliss, …. taste it.
Life is a dream, …. realize it.
Life is a challenge, …. meet it.
Life is a duty, …. complete it.
Life is a game, …. play it.
Life is a promise, …. fulfill it
Life is sorrow, …. overcome it.
Life is a song, …. sing it.
Life is a struggle, …. accept it.
Life is a tragedy…. confront it.
Life is an adventure, …. dare it.
Life is luck, …. make it.
Life is too precious, …. do not destroy it.
Life is life, …. fight for it.
by Mother Theresa
I wish that I had a picture to help you understand my mortification I hate Marigolds they are a small flower (I use that word loosely) they should be called a weed. They are not pretty, they stink and I am not sure why anyone would plant it.
So you can imagine my mortification when I drove past a house in Clay Center and noticed that their entire front yard was completely full of Marigolds. Really? I can understand not wanting to mow your yard but Marigolds, plant your yard to rocks or musk thistle but Marigolds? I will now have nightmares...thank you!!
Ok yes I know I need to update, but what do you people want to know???? I have a mental block lately when it comes to blogging. I don't know why I just don't think there has been in major moments to blog about so I will give you a little run down on what we have been doing.
Jacob is taking college classes and working part time doing construction. Allissa is playing volleyball and cheering. Kaylee is playing volleyball and doing gymnastics (she just moved up a level) Duane is welll...hmmm (just kidding), Duane is working with the sheep and his honey-do-list at the house. I am coaching cheer, completing college classes and working plus we follow the kids to all their stuff.
So busy but very boring for blogging purposes. I will look for things to blog about this week and post again soon.
OK update on life:
Financial aid went through had to take another class to get it done but oh well who needs sleep. Kaylee loves her teacher am sure that we will have rough spots but anything has to be better then last year.
Allissa and Jake seem to be settling into high school as a freshman and a senior, they are both tired but think that will get better as we get back into routine.
I love my school schedule it is really busy but that makes my days go much quicker...got to love that.
The hubby has been awesome about helping to keep laundry done and getting suppers fixed with every ones crazy schedule if this keeps going the year will be great.
Ok so this hasn't been the greatest two weeks. I put in 60 hours last week for work between Monday through Sunday, then had a bank mix-up (no blame), then financial aid is soooo slow and the girl that I talk to says well you could just make the first payment and we will pay it back...really? Do you know how much that first payment is?? Do you know I have limited income in the summer??
The topper for the week is the car overheats am sitting on the side of the road and the preacher drives by and waves without stopping to see if I need help.....God's sense of humor is really starting to get to me!! Next week has to get better.......doesn't it??
In my quest to find fun things to do this summer that won't break the bank I took the girls to Milford Nature Center. We spent about two hours there, it was a great afternoon.
The girls are watching baby catfish feed in the runs under the netting, they would get to splashing and the girls would have to jump back to avoid getting wet.
We went on a nature walk and this dock was part of it, we also saw a soft shell turtle, a lizard and a dung beetle...not a bad walk.
Allissa on a giant spider, this is as close to a spider as she will ever get.
Kaylee pretending to be an eagle, this was a replica of the actual size of an eagle's nest, very kewl1) The ability to stand up for myself
2) Friends that tell me that I am not being selfish
3) Facebook so that I know there are other people out there with problems like mine
4) Watermelon....yes watermelon best food ever
5) Plastic cups.....I don't have to wash them just throw them away
OK so I didn't say what Sunday I would post pictures of 8Th grade graduation so I am still safe.
Love this picture, she walked across the stage and got her certificate then did her Vanna White impersonation (gotta love Tony in the backround doing the thumbs up sign)
This is the Allissa we all know goofing around posing for the camera
The girls, the all look so pretty and grown up
These are the two girls that Allissa hangs out with most, they where making fun of Randi's (middle) height she is short compared to Allissa and Jordyn and then she had on flats and Allisssa and Jordyn had on heels.My mom informed me that I needed to post something during the summer so that people didn't think I died....................so.................................SOMETHING!!!! (I know stop being a smart*#@)
Seriously I have been so busy since school got out that I have barely been home, Allissa started volleyball practice and we had our first game, lets just say that we have room for improvement but we did only have one practice so it has to get better.
Kaylee went to KYLA camp at Hays for three days and had a blast, met new people, learned new games.....didn't need her mom **tear**
Jacob is working at Fort Riley framing houses so we have seen very little of him since school has been out.
Duane and I sheered all 39 ewes and sent them to grass, chores got a little easier for the summer, just have the kids 4-H projects and the bucks on the farm.
I am getting ready for Jr. High Cheer leading camp next week, am excited it should be a good time.
Check back after Sunday and hopefully I will have 8Th grade graduation pictures posted!!!
I have to brag on my hubby. He has made some amazing meals this week. Tuesday night he made kabobs with steak, baby tomatoes, green peppers, orange peppers, potatoes and a ranch sauce. Then last night he grilled steak but he also made lemon pepper chicken with grilled onions and peppers and cheese potatoes.......it was amazing so hope he keeps experimenting am loving it.
Kaylee had fun day at school yesterday and I thought I would share a few pictures.
Kaylee and one of her friends asking the Army men if they had MRE's she was scared to ask it was cute. Notice how far away from him she is standing she did make friends with him and they joked around later
OK I know I am partial but isn't she cute.....love this picture!!
The only day of the year that you can beat your friends to death with water noodles.
Just the girls hanging out!!The identity of this man is being kept a mystery for his protection!!!!
Have you seen this dog? He is wanted for impersonating a Teddy Bear.
We sometimes travel a little "red neck" but we have never travled like this.....
This school bus was at the sale barn and it backed up and unloaded goats.
The end of the school year is close and this means the field trip to the lake. We take all our kids to the lake as a reward if they have turned in all of there work and passing all their classes. It is a great motivator because we have a blast.
Hanging out under the tent....enjoying the conversation.
Fishing and yes they did catch some fish and they even tried their hand at grilling them...lets just say the catching went better then the cooking.
Hanging out by the water enjoying the day...they are great kids!!
The scary part about this picture....the adult is a teacher....what exactly did they teach in your school?
When we got to the lake it had not been mowed where we wanted to play croquet and believe it or not one of the kids had a lawn mower so we mowed our own path to make play easier. The motto of Special Education: If there is a will there is a way!Just a update:
I had a great weekend for Mother's day, we did NOTHING!! I loved it, our lives are so full and we are always on the go, so staying home and hanging out with the family was the best thing ever.
We start showing this coming weekend, it looks like the next four weekends will revolve around livestock shows and the people that we hang out with at them....I can't wait. We have some great friends and this time of year allows us to catch up.
Allissa and I both started the new cheer leading year with our first practice last night. I have sixteen girls out for cheer leading this will be the biggest group I have had so far am extremely excited...I know, I know I am crazy. Allissa had her first High School practice last night it sounded like it went pretty well and she taught the Jr. High Cheerleaders the new welcome cheer that she made..so awesome.
Duane has been gone a little with work and is now getting into show mode, his favorite time of the year.
Kaylee has been practicing her basketball skills getting ready for her shooting camp coming up before to long.
Jacob is finishing up golf, working weekends and being a typical teenager.
Not much exciting has happened lately just us living our daily lives trying to keep our heads above water.
Getting my hair cut last night (or therapy that's how I see it) and Main Effect is right next door to Tasty Pastry. The girls grab some money and run for the doughnuts, they come back with drinks and doughnuts. Life is good, then the conversation goes like this:
Allissa: (Eating a nut roll) says "Mom what is on top of this doughnut?"
Me: "Nuts....why?"
Allissa: "Because they said it was a nut roll but I wasn't sure if that meant those things on top"
Me: "Seriously?"
Shoot me now.....Once again there is no Snipe in Kansas
We had to deliver sheep over by Salina on Sunday, so I thought we would swing past the new Kohl's in Salina....Love Kohl's. This is what happened:
I am not usually one that contacts stores to discuss their policies, I work in education now but have worked in customer service in the past and understand that there are certain rules put into place for certain reason. I was however completely offended and hurt by your employees and their lack of "training" that I encountered on Sunday May 3rd at your Salina Kansas store.
I took my 10 year old daughter to your store to do some shopping, we were looking for her first "real" bra. I went into the dressing room with her to assist in this matter (by my 10 year old request no less) when one of your employees knocked on the door and told me that I was not allowed in there with her. When I asked why she said "Company Policy" Fine I was upset but I stood outside the door and assisted my daughter the best I could through the door. I asked why the policy was in effect and she stated in a very snotty voice that "this is what my manager told me so it is what I have to do" I said that I didn't know after today if we would be back in this Kohl's and that if this is going to be your policy it need to be posted. She went and talked to her manager and I was then informed that because my daughter needed my assistance they would make an exception. I thanked them but the damage had already been done, my daughter and I had both been insulted and a moment that should have been a mile stone had been damaged by policies that had no basis.
This policy needs to be posted and your employees need to be trained why it is in effect in the first place. I assume that there is a reason?? Rules without proper education leads to ignorance and poor customer service.
Thank you,
Angela Toews
This was the response that I received:
Dear Angie,
My name is Kathleen Baldwin and I am the Store Manager of your Salina Kohl's. I have been forwarded a copy of the e-mail that you sent regarding your experience while in my store. I cannot express to you how very sorry I am that this happened. I assure you that this is not a policy of Kohl's. I have spoken to the associate that was in the fitting room at the time, and can tell you without a doubt that this will never happen again. I would also like to apologize to your daughter as this was an important milestone that mothers and daughters share. I understand the frustration that this has caused you both and would like the opportunity to make it right. I would like to offer you 15% off your next purchase to use at your convenience. You will not need a coupon for this. I will let the cashiers and Management staff here know, or I can send you a gift card if you would like. Please let me know if there is anything else that I can do to rectify this. Again I am truly sorry for the frustration, embarrassment, and inconvenience that this created.
Kathleen BaldwinStore Manager
1310Salina Kansas785-452-9392
I do appreciate the fact that they sent a discount but it is more important to me that this doesn't happen to anyone else and please do not be afraid to speak up if you feel like you have been mistreated.
I love English, I hate math......math never really worked for me, numbers/letters should remain separate, my opinion, after reading the following it makes me wonder why I didn't find English confusing:
Let's face it - English is a crazy language.
There is no egg in eggplant nor ham in hamburger; neither apple nor pine in pineapple. English muffins weren't invented in England nor French fries in France. Sweetmeats are candies while sweetbreads, which aren't sweet, are meat.
We take English for granted. But if we explore its paradoxes, we find that quicksand can work slowly, boxing rings are square and a guinea pig is neither from Guinea nor is it a pig. And why is it that writers write but fingers don't fing, grocers don't groce and hammers don't ham? If the plural of tooth is teeth, why isn't the plural of booth beeth? One goose, 2 geese. So one moose, 2 meese? One index, 2 indices? Doesn't it seem crazy that you can make amends but not one amend, that you comb through annals of history but not a single annal? If you have a bunch of odds and ends and get rid of all but one of them, what do you call it? If teachers taught, why didn't preachers praught? If a vegetarian eats vegetables, what does a humanitarian eat?
Sometimes I think all the English speakers should be committed to an asylum for the verbally insane. In what language do people recite at a play and play at a recital? Ship by truck and send cargo by ship? Park on driveways and drive on parkways? Have noses that run and feet that smell? How can a slim chance and a fat chance be the same, while a wise man and a wise guy are opposites? You have to marvel at the unique lunacy of a language in which your house can burn up as it burns down, in which you fill in a form by filling it out and in which an alarm goes off by going on.
English was invented by people, not computers, and it reflects the creativity of the human race (which, of course, isn't a race at all). That is why, when the stars are out, they are visible, but when the lights are out, they are invisible? And why, when I wind up my watch, I start it, but when I wind up this essay, I end it? English is a silly language — it doesn't know if it is coming or going.
The problem with America is stupidity. I'm not saying there should be a capital punishment for stupidity, but why don't we just take the safety labels off of everything and let the problem solve itself?
Oh my gosh a real smile..how cute
Girls talking about the flowers
Waiting for the girlsProm was Saturday night and here are some of the pictures so you can see how cute my kid is....
Being goofy
Putting on the corsage..awwww
Shelby, Jake, Becca, and JoeyGood Morning, love going out to do chores to find little suprises. This is the newest addition to the Toews farm. When I got out there this morning at 5:30 she had "it" and the baby was already cleaned up and walking. I don't know yet if it is a boy or girl, it was dark when I was out the first time and then the second time the baby was laying down.
It is really tiny, yes it's mother is a small horse and I knew it would be little but you have know idea until you see it how small it really is.
SO CUTE!!!!!OK, my daughter is more then likely going to "shoot me" for posting this but I couldn't resist. She went to the movies with her girlfriends and they had a display for a movie, being goofy Allissa picked up the gun and pretended to shoot, she didn't realize that the gun was backwards until this picture had been taken......what can I say, don't see her as the military type.
Her girlfriends posted this on face book and used it to promote breast cancer awareness, thought that was a very kewl thing since they are 14 and 15 years of age. Yes the picture is funny but please remember........
I posted on twitter that I was resigning from parenthood, this quickly got a phone call from my husband telling me that I wasn't allowed. It got me thinking what would my resignation letter look like so here you go:
Dear Mini bosses and Spouse boss,
I am writing this letter to inform you that I am resigning from the position of cook, maid, nurse, chauffeur, personal attendant, chore girl, bookkeeper, tutor, and laundry attendant.
I have decided that due to the economy changing I must also make some changes. In doing your fiances for the last fifteen years I know that you cannot afford to increase my non-existence pay beyond what I am receiving at this point.
I would like to thank you for your time and tell you how much I appreciate all the on the job training that I have received. If I had not had the pleasure of working for you I would never have learned that I have magic powers, you see I have found that I am capable of locating items that don't belong to me and that I didn't put away (or leave laying somewhere). I would never have learned that I have psychic powers and can read minds, you see I can at this point tell if someone is lying without you having to take that stupid test. I would like to thank you for all the training I have received in your laundry department, because of the Minni's I have learned that I am capable of doing large mounds of laundry in record time and remove stains of things I am not even sure of their origin. I have learned other things about myself from working for you that I would like to share, I have learned that I can help the "Minni's" write fabulous papers but even if I understand the math problems they won't believe me anyway, that is OK it has made me understand my limitations. I would also like to thank you for the times you allowed me to take care of your precious livestock, I have found that I can locate the vet on my own, deliver babies and provide medical attention to things with four legs. I have enjoyed very much the times that I was required drive the "Minni's" from place to place, I have learned that I am capable of tuning the radio, answering three different questions and drive on my side of the road with WWE happening in the backseat.
If you have questions after I leave about any of the things I was once responsible for please do not try to call me. I will have relocated to a quite remote Island with drinks that have tiny umbrellas and I don't see myself being able to complete any of the previous job duties do to my future state of being.
Strange fact and useless information:
Needing a little grace, I honestly didn't see myself doing more then one of these and here I am on number 4, they make me feel better so here you are.
I found a quote today that said "good friends don't let you do stupid things (without a camera)"
I completely apply this to my family at all times, my husbands radio station was taken over by pirates today...an April fools joke. Duane decided to dress like a pirate because he was going to talk like one all day, the whole get into the character thing. I do love my husband he makes me laugh and every now and then you get to see the side I see.
We had two choices for lunch today chicken and fish. The girl behind me in line ask "Is fish a meat?" No sweetheart fish is a vegetable it grows on a vine in a dark place maybe they are flowers....would she like to tip toe through the fishlips with me......
Please people educate your children on where meat comes from and obviously what meat is.
A friend sent a template to me on "Who am I" it went beyond the basics and made you think about where you came from, thought it was great. It will let you know a little more about me.
I am from farm houses, hard work,
and make your own fun,
from Dad’s hot chocolate, mom’s meatloaf,
and Saturday morning cartoons.
I am from the very supportive, my house my rules,
always the place to find peace.
I am from bind weeds, sunflowers and good old dirt,
the sweetness of the fresh cut grass, the harshness of the wild thistle,
the cool creek on the burning summer afternoon.
I am from family dinners that required dessert,
tossing rolls and having holidays before they even arrive,
and gag gifts that provide years of humor.
from Trudes
from Hinkles
from Richard and Mary.
I am from the talkers not the hitters, the lovers not the fighters,
and people that will tell me the truth whether
I want to hear it or not.
from nursery rhymes that made me cry
and dog bites that almost made me die.
I am from yes God does exists, Sunday school is a requirement
baptism a choice, from there is belief in
everyone and you can choose yours.
I’m from small town, in your face, I know your parents, grandparents and
everything you think I don’t know,
fried chicken, mashed potatoes and
homemade pie.
From a mother to young to have me,
The man that worked two jobs to provide,
and the brother that never let my imagination hide.
I am from hope chests,
mementos stored in dresser drawers,
pictures hung to show my growth,
and love that cannot be shaken, broke or destroyed.
OK needing a little reminder today:
Am so in love with these little guys they are boxer puppies that a student of mine has. They breed and sale them and I told him how cute I thought boxers are and how bad I wanted one and so he brought them in to torture me...they are sold.....thank goodness I don't need another dog but am afraid I may not have been able to resist if they had not already been bought by someone else.
This one had played to hard and had to take a little nap!!
"If you are not too long, I will wait here for you all my life" Oscar Wild
