Here she is! She doesn't have a name yet. Here are some possibilities: Flower, Daisy, Sunflower (sunny)
I'm really not close to choosing a name, although I think she probably needs one. If you have a suggestion, please email or comment!!
BTW - Maggie was so excited for her to come home, but hers is not so excited about Maggie. It's getting better - a little time and I'm sure they'll be best friends.
Happy Birthday to the longest crush I've ever had....
Jack Black - picture from The Holiday
I am one of the lucky few teachers I know to have a SmartBoard in their classroom. It's an amazing piece of technology. I use it daily. For those not in the know, a Smartboard is just like a big screen in the front of my classroom. It has a projector and is hooked up to my computer. Anything I do on my computer can be seen on the Smartboard. I can also write on the Smartboard - so it can double as a chalk board or white board. Very exciting. Well......even though the Smartboard is off, if you touch it, it affects my computer - and thus comes your first full fledged stupid kid story.
It's 1:04 the bell rings for 4th block to start. I go in to start the kids on bellwork for Math. I love teaching Math. And today, I had already decided that I would let them go to the computer lab and play math games if there were anywhere near decent.
I have to get on my computer to take attendance. It is a chore that has to be done at the beginning of every hour, in the first 15 minutes. I walk behind my desk and there's a message for me on my desktop. It says "Fuck You" in bright lime green. I catch my breath, because I know exactly who it is and this kid isn't one of my overwhelming 'bad' ones. I ask the class to raise their hand if they touched the Smartboard in anyway. A few were like, "I was over here but I did..." So I looked at my para, handed out some worksheets and asked the stupid kid to go into the hallway. And I proceeded to 'walk and talk'. (That is what I do when you're going to the principals office and you don't know it). So I asked him if he knew that whatever we wrote on the Smartboard showed up on my computer screen. He of course said NO. I asked him what he wrote on the Smartboard and we talked about the obscene language and that I took offense to it because it seemed like this message was for me. He was very quiet, but did say he didn't know. We got to the Principal's office and I had her tell him the consequences of this - but that this time would be a warning. Because I do believe he didn't know that it went on my screen. And he's a kid that would never say FU to me or call me a b to my face. Behind my back and for attention from other kids - it's a whole other story.
I've really got to start bringing my camera to work for precious moments like these.
For the first time in my life, I know exactly how much money I actually have. It's shameful, I know. But an accomplishment all in itself.
Keep your eyes on my blog, there is going to be a new addition to my household this week!! Meow!
And - Beauty is in the eye of the beer holder...
After visiting the Nelson Art Gallery, it's interesting to see what people think is art. I really like impressionism, but have respect for all kinds of art. I really like to look at it all. Some of it is so odd though. I am always intrigued at first Fridays (which is held on the first Friday of the month in the art/crossroads district of KC, all the galleries are open to go through). There's always one gallery with a pile of trash in it and it's supposed to be art. It's always funny to go through some of them and think - I could do that. I could frame a dried pea and someone would pay $800 for that. But maybe that is what makes art so wonderful and necessary.
I absolutely had the best day going to the Nelson, maybe it was the company, maybe it was doing something different or maybe the combination of both.
Well, today sucked for me. Just no fun at all. I could not figure out why until I was talking to another teacher and she pointed it all out. Sixth Graders. I can't stand these little baby sixth graders. After a week of repeating and practicing they still cannot follow my classroom expectations. I understand that after they played and watched movies all last year, that it might be hard to follow expectations. But it gets so annoying. And then I have no patience. And we all know where that goes....or do we? Has anyone ever really seen me loose my patience?
My funny story for the day: I have a student who will ask to do something and when I respond he grunts at me.
Example: "Ms. Steen, can I use one of my passes and go to the bathroom?" "No, the bell will ring in about 6 minutes and you can use your passing time to go." "UGHHHHGH."
"Student will you please finish your math work sheet?" "UGHSHHH"
So after about 50 of these grunts, I have many more examples. I decided that when he asked me a question, I would just grunt at him. So, he shouted out (without raising his hand) some question. And I grunted. He continued to ask me, so I continued to grunt. Regardless, he didn't grunt for the rest of the day, so my weird way, maybe even wrong to some of you, dealing with him - worked! It's okay to think outside the box. As a special ed teacher - some times I HAVE to.
So anyway - tomorrow I am going to get a new student. He's an 8th grader and will just wonderfully fit in with my immature 6th graders....(smell the sarcasm, folks).
Thank God tomorrow is Friday!
The good news is:
This is a flower in my top 'pond'. I just saw it today after school and had to take a picture. I think it is so pretty. How many people have flowering lilypads in their yard???!!!
And the bad news....
Somewhere at the beginning of school (when it was still adults) I got impetigo. Yes, that is impetigo. Disgusting, eh? I thought that was a old time disease, not something people got today. You have to have skin on skin contact to get it. So unless you've been rubbing my left arm - you won't have it. Although the treatment is just some antibiotics and cream. So disgusting. All I can do is stare at it and shake my head with disgust. And think, 'god, those people with diseases are dirty and disgusting. they really need to take care of themselves.' And then I wake up and realize that it happened to me. I'm not dirty, nor disgusting....at least not right now.
Anyway - enjoy, have a good week.
Tomorrow is the first day of school with students. It's pretty exciting. I'm overwhelmed by all the work that needs to still be completed - but it'll be fine. This is my 5th year teaching with a certificate (I taught before without one at a private school). It's my 3rd year at Center Middle and the longest job I've ever held. I don't really see myself leaving soon, unless 'the ship starts to sink'.
I'm basically ready for my new kiddos. I've got a whole new crew this year. I'm excited for the new start. I think it'll be a good one.
Anyway - I just wanted to get some of my thoughts down, so I can look back at them later. When I remember to bring my camera to school, I will take pics of my classroom so everyone can admire my handy work.
Good luck to everyone who's also starting school tomorrow or in the very near future. I hope this year is nothing like last year!!!
I went back to work today. I had to be up and out of the house by 7:45AM. I was actually up around 6:15 and had plenty of time to get ready. It was actually a good day. I found myself to be really happy back to work. I think I like having something to get up for. Plus, it's nice to spend the day with friends. I work with a really great team of people. They make the time very worth while.
The students are back on the 15th and it looks like we are going to get out of school May 21, granted we don't have any snow days.
If you look at the title, you might think that this is a rant about people and cell phones. Well, it's not. I do want to say that I don't believe a cell phone be your only means of calling someone, or your only means of finding a phone number. I believe this because today I accidentally washed my cell phone, deleting and ruining my phone. If anyone remembers, this is the second one I've dropped in water, and the second time I've deleted all my numbers. I wasn't able to revive my cute pink phone, so now I'm toting a old black phone that I got from Natalie (thank God she had it). It's a very manly phone...but it cost me nothing and I'm able to talk and communicate with people.
Anyhow, email me with phone numbers for those that read this: bonniesteen@mail.com
All right, here are some pics of my new house with stuff in it. I will post them and make comments below the picture. I'm truly in love with this house. It is going to be a good home. I've had a lot of people come by and everyone seems to be very impressed. 
This is 8725 Sleepy Hollow, picture taken from the street.
Once you come through the front door, this is what you see. It is my living room/dining room. Maggie thought she should be in the picture. Isn't she the cutest. She loves it here, although I think she misses being able to go in and out as she pleases. Since we have A/C, we don't do that here. 
Here is the kitchen looking from the living room/dining room. While the kitchen is small - it is much more efficient than my last one. I will cook a lot in there. 
Another picture of the kitchen from standing in it. You can see my enormous fridge and then the entry to the laundry room and back door.
Here's my little laundry area right off the kitchen.
This is the back door. I wanted to put a picture in because of the stained glass looking window in it. It is a key to what's out back. BTW -that window is not glass, it's plexi-glass. But it looks for real, I was certainly surprised when I touched it and it wasn't real stained glass. 
This is the view from the back door. You can see my little patio out back and the koi ponds in the yard. 
This is my shed. They previous owner left a lawnmower, shovels, rakes, wheel barrow, and all kinds of stuff in there. I didn't have to buy any yard stuff at all!! 
This is a picture of the koi - or the fish, as I call them. Everyone is always surprised that there are fish in there. There are quite a few actually and a lot of baby fish.
That's all the pics I am going to share for now. I'll have pics of the bedrooms as they come to fruition. Right now they are a crazy mess because I haven't touched them.
Happy Thursday to everyone. It's not a happy thursday for me because I had wanted to go to Minneapolis this weekend to see my cousin, and I'm not going to get to. Not because of the bridge tragedy, but because the salon won't let me off the hook. Lot's of people have asked about my cousin up there and I've heard from her and her and everyone she knows is fine. But it is a tragedy and we should think strong thoughts for everyone up there, it's going to take a while to find all the people in the wreckage and clean up the debris.
