testing 1,2,3

state standardized testing has begun- it must be spring!

oh how painful to tell a child, "Sorry, i can't pronounce that word for you- do your best!"

agonizing- watching some of my students fade in and out of concentration and mark a bubble even though they have no idea what they just read.

sad- these kids have worked hard and have shown growth, but it all comes down to these three weeks.

how about a test in the fall and a test at the END of the year? look at the child, look for growth!

(trivia for you: testing is required to take place 150 days into the school year. this is for the convenience of the testing company, so they can get the results back. don't you think that the companies making millions off of testing could hire a few more people to run scantron sheets and score reports? why are the kids forced to cram 180 days of instruction into 150???)

well, well,well

our little corner of the world has been busy...book club with my lady crew was great. we had so much fun visiting and catching up while watching Rebecca. let me tell you, all the world's problems could be solved if they would let us at them.

a new little girl has made her debut. we are excited to meet finley kate and congratulate sweet sarah!

i also had a chance to get out with 3 out of 4 mooklettes and do a little shopping and lunch. we had such a good time. then we followed that up with mom, dad and joe out by ourselves for lunch and great conversation- joe is such an interesting young man. he has always had a wonderful sense of humor and I enjoy it, even when I shouldn't.

watched bee movie this weekend, too. adored it as we are big seinfeld fans!

hope all is well in your little corner!

of teenagers and toddlers...

is there a difference, really? this has been on my mind of late, as i have both species in the house.

• ill-fitting clothes?-check
• hair a wreck?-check
• up at all hours of the night?- check
• joy to tantrum in 60 seconds?-check
• listens to music parents dread?-check
• causes parents to worry about lurking danger?-check
• one brings out the goodness of the other?-check

so many similarities: explosive physical growth and development, seperation from mom and dad, going out into a larger world, increased expectations of behavior and responsibilities.

it is such a great vantage point from which to put it all into perspective. this is a process, all part of becoming a fantastic human. watching these two intereact is to witness grace here on earth and it is to be reminded of how fundamentally good teens are when you are willing to take the time to dig deeper.

Women Running Wild

this is the only time I want something with "wild" in the title associated with my gals...a 5k for breast cancer and the mooklettes hit the road for the first time together...my girls make me proud! K. was awesome- her first race...she started out at my side, then got brave and made her own way (what a metaphor for raising kids). She finished in 34 minutes- way to go girl!

*sigh*

My Mom

Where does one begin??? I find it impossible not to get emotional when I think about my mom- her love for me and my family (one husband, six kids, 4in-laws, 14 grandkids) moves me profoundly.

What moves me the most about her is her faithfulness- to us, to God, to her friends. You just don't find anyone truer than her.

The thing I most appreciate about her looks is her beautiful smile. It is my first memory of her and will be the thing I remember forever.

What I love most about her personality is she says what she thinks.

As I have been enjoying having a baby in the house again after so many years, I find myself surrounded by memories of my mom and I- going to church, to Mrs. Lamb's restaurant, her fixing up my room at different points in my life, showing me how to bake, how to iron and how to clean- mostly i am left with the memory of just how much she enjoyed my presence in the world- enjoyed every moment. I am so thankful to have been so welcomed and loved!

So, now I return the favor- somewhat inadequately- on her birthday. I love you mom, I am lucky to spend time with you, you mean the world to me!

Happy Birthday! j.

4000

And the 4000 number, which will be all over the news this week, and devastating as it is, tells only a fraction of the story. One hundred forty-five American service members died of self-inflicted wounds. The wounded totals 29,314. And incalculable are the number of lives forever altered because loved ones never returned home, or came back with disabilities that will never fully heal; marriages broken, engagements terminated, children who will never know their parents or who many know them only as hostages to wheelchairs or hospital wards.

let us pause and reflect...

down we go-

one by one, the mooklettes are getting a stomach bug! such easter fun... first little c., then all together the mr, joe and k. JT is currently debating whether he is sick or not,but i fear it will soon be out of his hands...as for me- hard to say, but i'm hoping for the best.
i think the easter bunny should save himself and bypass us