My Inner Drill Sergeant

I have many 6th grade students that are sweet and compliant, but I have one group that is very difficult. Unfortunately, I get this group the first and last period of the day. They are fairly well behaved in their core classes. When they were asked why they were unruly in my room, the answer was that we were nice. So my aide, an ex-marine, and I have dug deep to call up the drill sergeant within. It is amazing the compliance I get when I growl and bark orders.



Last Friday, at the end of 1st period, I felt like I had been gnawing on bones, and it should have been at least the middle of the day. I was exhausted, but they were more compliant. During that period I wrote a referral, which I rarely do, but the leader of this little group had stolen a water bottle from another student. When no one confessed to taking the water bottle, I stated that they shouldn’t mind letting me look in their backpacks. When the water bottle was found, the perpetrator tried to laugh it off like it was a joke. He is the one I wrote the referral for. Writing the referral got the attention of the others.


My worst offender pays attention when I am the drill sergeant. I don’t like this persona, but being ignored and having the learning environment ruined for everyone is worse.

Fearless

I love being with the Primary children on Sunday. My counselors and I leave Sacrament Meeting a little early so we can set up the chairs. One of my counselors often brings her children to help. Jane is a sweet 4-year-old. She is amazing when it comes to arranging the chairs. She drags chairs that are bigger than she is into place.

Jane is fearless. She and I have arthritis in our knees, and we both take medication.  There are days that my mobility is not great, and my knees hurt. Jane’s mother tells me that she insists on doing what everyone else is doing. She does not give up. I love her “Can Do” spirit. She is one of my heroes.

Hot!

Monday was a very hot day. It was 108 degrees at school during the day. The school nurse told me that after sending a dozen kids home that were overcome with the heat, she asked the PE teachers to keep their classes in the air conditioned gym. Apparently the PE classes were walking the track. As I went from one building to another, it was like walking into and out of an oven. It was hot!

A Full Weekend

This has been a very full weekend. I did grades. Progress reports are due Tuesday at noon, but the grading period ended Friday the 24th. I wanted to get the grades out of the way, so I spent most of Saturday figuring grades. I also worked on the Primary Sacrament Meeting Program. Then I worked on making a visual spelling aid for my students.

Sunday was full and fun. There were meetings before church, followed by Sacrament Meeting, and then Primary. In the afternoon I went home teaching with Marc, and then we had a Primary baptism in the evening. It was a full day, and it was a good day.

I Made It!

I just completed my first week of before and after school supervision duty. I really hate duty. I was assigned duty in the 8^th grade quad in the morning. The worst thing that I had to contend with was kids walking on the grass, and one boy that sagged his pants entirely below his posterior. They were a calm group, and they always moved when I asked them to move off the grass. No one talked back. It was hard giving up the prep time in the morning. I always felt rushed by the time I got back to first period. I am glad it is done!

Disagree Nicely

It is appropriate to disagree.
It is not appropriate to be disagreeable.

~Elder Quentin L. Cook—Apostle

Back-to-School Night

Last night was Back-to-School Night. I actually had 8 students represented by parents and siblings. That is a third of my case load, so I consider it a success.

It is fun to be working with 6^th graders this year. They are very excited about middle school. I have one rowdy group, but there are many sweet students. I especially enjoy 2^nd period. No one talks back, and everyone tries.  

Adding to the Family Tree

Grandma Bonnie, Paige, and Isaac have gone to Utah to help Margot with the boys and to meet Phoebe. Paige and Isaac will get to play Aunt Paige and Uncle Isaac to Peter and Cooper. This should give Margot some additional time to rest and recover from childbirth. There will be plenty of people to hold Phoebe too. I wish I could be there, and then we could take a four generation picture of great-grandmother, grandmother, mother, and daughter. Perhaps we will do that later. Phoebe seems to be a combination of her brothers, and entirely herself. She is precious.

Jump Into Exercise

Isaac has been setting the pace for exercise. He spends part of his day exercising enthusiastically. Part of his exercise includes jumping. He jumps on the small trampoline. He recently has been trying to jump high enough to slam dunk a basketball, but since he doesn’t have a basketball hoop he tries to jump to reach the rafters in the garage. He recently had Paige measure his jump. It was calculated that Isaac can jump 22 inches off the ground.  He was very excited by this accomplishment. He is also down to 160 pounds. That is 30 pounds down from his top weight. Way to go Isaac! Keep on keeping on.



Keep Moving Forward

Wherefore, be not weary in well-doing, for ye are laying the foundation of a great work. And out of small things proceedeth that which is great.

Doctrine & Covenants 64:33

Date Night

Paige had a date tonight. There was an activity for the singles ward where the guys asked out the girls. There were 8 couples in all from the ward that went to the same restaurant. They ate teriyaki chicken and rice. Paige was asked out by the ward executive secretary. He is a sweet young man that served a mission in Colorado. Paige had a nice time. They are both rather shy, but apparently there was conversation, and there may be more...

Translating

Marc translated a parents’ meeting this evening. A 6^th grade math teacher and language arts teacher that share the same students had a meeting for their lowest performing students. They invited 11, and 6 showed up. Five of the six were my students. One little boy had been Marc’s speech student last year. It was a cordial meeting, and Marc did a fine job. The parents were very appreciative that they could ask questions with Marc’s help. The meeting went from 7:30 to 8:30pm. It has been a long day, but it has been well spent.

Computer Repair

Isaac has worked over Marc’s old computer, and he has gotten it to work. The computer kept shutting down, and there appeared to be no space available on it. Isaac was able to wipe it clean. The computer was divided into thirds. Part of it was nearly empty, and the computer was not using this portion. Isaac eliminated that empty portion, and expanded the usable area. I am most likely not explaining this correctly, but the end result is Isaac now has the use of his own laptop computer. Now he is trying to resurrect my old computer for Paige. I hope he is successful.

Stand By Me / Beautiful Girls - The Choir - BBC Two

I have been watching a show on BBC called “The Choir”. The show is about starting choirs at schools that have not previously had one. This performance was particularly inspiring. Enjoy!

Moving a Mountain

Isaac has moved a mountain. He has created enough space in the garage that he has set up a work-out area. He uses the stationary bike, small trampoline, weights, jump rope, and basketball. He dribbles the basketball, and he does a circuit of his equipment. The TV and DVD/VCR are set up too. At least a ⅓ of the garage is being used for his gym. Anyone who has seen our garage (storage area) knows what a miracle this is. Way to Isaac!

Frenzy!

There was an assembly this week to kick off a fundraiser for the school. There have been so many cuts to the budget that these fundraisers make a substantial difference. Apparently a good fundraiser can bring in as much as $10,000. The assembly was to get the kids excited about selling magazines and cookie dough. They were promised a variety of prizes including candy, money, toys, and lunch at IN-N-Out. The lunch included a trip by limo. The kids were in a frenzy of excitement.

I thought about the district policy of “No Candy” to promote healthy living. They also promised drawings for cash, and the chance to play bingo. So gambling was also being promoted. One of the first level prizes is a miniature toilet. I couldn’t see what it did, but the promoter said it was a trick toilet. Another prize was a fake security camera, so crude jokes and spying must be fun.

What happened to the high ideals of education? Candy is bad for you, except if you earned it during the school fundraiser. Gambling is bad for you, except if you earned the chance to play during the school fundraiser. What kind of a message is being sent to the kids? Even more important, what message are they receiving? Is there a double standard? I wonder if I am the only one that sees the hypocrisy in this.

Good News!

I had a mammogram in early August. I was notified that I needed a second mammogram. A cyst had been detected on the left side. I went in for the 2nd mammogram just before school started. Once again I was notified that I needed to come in for an ultrasound of the left side. I was able to go on my lunch period. During this time Marc gave me a blessing that all would turn out well. I finally got a phone call from the doctor’s office with the good news. I have a benign cyst. I am clear for another year, but I will have to have a mammogram yearly from now on.

This was at times a painful, and certainly an uncomfortable procedure, but I am glad to be done with it and have a clean bill of health as far as this is concerned. I put this off for as long as I could. The doctor’s office told me that my insurance might drop me if I didn’t have the mammogram because early detection is very important.

Happy 31st Anniversary!

Marc and I have been married for 31 years today. I have been a Larsen longer than I was a Phillips. I am grateful for my sweet husband. Here is a list of some of the blessings of the past 31 years:

1. Temple Marriage.

    a. We were married in the Los Angeles Temple on September 7, 1979.

2. Five Great Children who have testimonies and are active in the gospel.

A. Margot…Married in the San Diego Temple to Bryan (A very patient and kind man)…BA in Theater Education with a minor in English…Mother of the amazing Peter (4 ¾ years), entertaining Cooper (2 ½ years), and much awaited Phoebe Janine (Born today!)…Serving as the Stake Young Women Secretary.

   

B. Ian…Served a Spanish-speaking mission to the Georgia, Atlanta Mission…Married in the Salt Lake Temple to Amanda Brinkofski (A very intelligent, spunky, and fun person) …AA degree and currently working on BA degree…Father of adorable Clara (19 months) and cute Henry (nearly 6 months)…Currently serving in the Air Force stationed in Honolulu, Hawaii and deployed to Afghanistan…Often speaks in Sacrament Meeting.

   

C. Jordan…Served a mission to the Ohio, Cleveland Mission… Married in the San Diego Temple to Allison Gornall (A very pretty girl)…AA degree and currently working on BA in Professional Writing with an aim to be a technical writer…Full-time student at Oklahoma State University and lead server at I-Hop…Serving as a Sunday School Teacher for the 12 and 13-year-olds.

   

D. Paige…Served a mission to the Washington DC-South Mission…A fun Aunt who has been a nanny to Peter, Clara, and Henry (She plans to help Margot when baby sister arrives)…Serving as a weekly temple worker in the San Diego Temple, and as a ward missionary in the single’s ward…Has many plans for the future.

   

E. Isaac…Served a mission to the North Carolina, Charlotte Mission…Serving as a ward missionary in the single’s ward…Signed up to take the ACT in October 2010 with the aim of attending college in January 2011.

3. Higher Education
    A. Marc earned his Master’s Degree in Organization Communications.

    B. I have earned a California Multiple Subject Teaching Credential, a CLAD Credential, and a Special Education Credential for mild/moderate and moderate/severe. This took me about ten years. I already had a BA in Liberal Studies when I began.

4. Jobs

    A. Marc worked for over 21 years as a technical writer. He is currently working as a bilingual speech aide in the Vista Unified School District. He assesses Spanish-speaking children for language services. He works at elementary and middle schools in the district. His students range from kindergarten to 8th grade.

    B. I also work in the Vista Unified School District. I am a Special Education Teacher for 6th graders. For the past 7 years I have taught 7th graders, but this year I moved to 6th grade. This is a nice change.

5. Home
    A. When were first married we moved every time we had a new baby. We went from a one-bedroom apartment, to a two-bedroom apartment, to a three-bedroom apartment, and finally to a four-bedroom home. We have now been living in Oceanside, Ca for nearly 25 years. During that time we have been in three different wards because the boundaries changed around us.

6. Church Callings
    A. Marc has served in four Bishoprics. He was the Executive Secretary the first time, and then served as the 1st counselor the other three times. He has been the Ward Mission Leader twice, taught the Gospel Doctrine class and Seminary. He has served on the Stake High Council and as the Stake Sunday School President. Currently he is the ward Gospel Doctrine Teacher.

    B. I have served as a Relief Society Teacher, YW Teacher and counselor, ward newsletter editor, Sunday Program specialist, Primary teacher, Primary counselor, and currently I am the Primary President. (I love Primary!)

7. Things we love: A to Z

A. Anagrams (We play anagrams together on Marc’s I-Pod).

B. Beach (Living near enough to feel a cool ocean breeze).

C. Chinese Food

    ~Cool summer evenings.

D. Discussing books we’ve enjoyed.

E. Entertaining Stories (We like to share stories about our children and grandchildren with others.)

F. Family (Children, grandchildren, and parents)

G. Gospel of Jesus Christ

    ~General Conference

H. Homemade bread

    ~Home Teaching Marc’s families together.

I. Ice water on a hot day

J. Jose’s Tacos

K. Kind words

L. Listening to audio books.

M. Movies (We don’t do this very often, so it is a treat.)

N. News from our Children

O. Old movies (From the 1930s through the 1950s).

P. Phone calls with our children, grandchildren, and mothers

    ~Punch (A combination of diet 7-Up and grape juice. This is Marc’s invention.)

Q. Quirky TV Shows (Warehouse 13, Eureka, Psych, and Monk).

R. Relaxing side-by-side in our recliners, while working on our individual computers together.

S. Scriptures

    ~We read the Book of Mormon together this year.

    ~We have read all of the Conference Talks from April 2010.

    ~We are currently reading the New Testament together.

T. Temple work together

   ~Translating… Marc translating IEP meetings for me (These are meetings at school with Spanish speaking parents).

U. Unscheduled time together (Just relaxing).

V. Visiting or Skyping with our children and grandchildren, or having them visit us.

W. Walking on the beach.

    ~Watermelon    
    ~Ward Council…Sitting together (We did this when Marc was the Ward Mission President, and I was   first called to be the Primary President.)

X. XXXI…31 years of marriage

Y. Years of learning, laughter, tears, aspirations, cheering and children together.

Z. Zealous…We are devoted to the gospel of Jesus Christ, to each other, and to our children.

Marc,

Thank you for being a stalwart priesthood holder, kind father, and loving husband. You are the ONE!

Got Vegetables?

I have greatly limited my meat intake the last couple of days. Isaac fed us no meat for dinner on Saturday, and my knee was not swollen or tender on Sunday morning. I had just a small amount of chicken last night for dinner. This morning I could bend my knee, which means there is no swelling. This leads me to suspect gout as the type of arthritis I have in my knee. This type of arthritis usually affects one joint. Common sites are the big toe, ankle, or knee. It is caused by having too much uric acid in the body. Foods high in purines are bad for gout sufferers. These foods include red meat, organ meat, and seafood. I think my last tests at the doctor’s office listed my uric acid at 73. The top of the normal range is 70. This is only slightly elevated, but being overweight also increases this problem. I figure it is worth it to experiment by eliminating these trigger foods. I have nothing to lose, and only relief to gain. Relief from pain is good.

The Cost of Living

When I was in the 1st grade, I bought my lunch at school. I liked getting my lunch this way. Each lunch cost only 25¢. I could eat lunch for only $1.25 for the entire week. When the cost was raised to 30¢/lunch, I started taking sandwiches. I made my own peanut butter with apple butter sandwiches. I usually bought a carton of milk for 10¢. Today the cost of one lunch at my middle school is $2.50. That is 10 times more than it was in 1960. I realize that wages have increased. The minimum wage in California is $8.00. When I got a job on campus at Cal Poly, Pomona in 1975 the minimum wage was $2.50. I thought I was making a lot of money then. Of course a gallon of gas only cost 25¢.

Each year the state gives our school district a cost of living increase which they are meant to pass onto their employees, and each year the district uses the money to fund other needs. I am grateful to have a job, but 25¢ just doesn’t go as far as it used to.

Keep Trying

President Heber J. Grant (1856–1945) often quoted this saying from Ralph Waldo Emerson.

 “That which we persist in doing becomes easier to do; not that the nature of the thing is changed, but our power to do is increased.”

Diaper Cake

This is the diaper cake that Paige made for a baby shower we attended. It was a big hit. Paige put the green and brown ribbon on the cake. I thought it should be pink because they are having a girl. It turned out that green and brown are the very colors that the mother-to-be wanted for this baby. Paige was inspired in her choice. It was a fun evening.