Easter's Day

One afternoon, I pondered myself on how to get Easter's Gifts without spending so much money for my boys. It worried me because of my "up in the air" job situation, and wanted my sons believe Easter Bunny at the same time.

As I was driving by to my work to show off my mom's, 99 cents store clicked my idea. I thought it would not hurt to swing by along with my mom. Amazing what I discovered! Pez Collections and Bubbles Pipes!! This was perfect gifts for my older son, Dylan because he collects Pez. What a luck! I winded-up up buying 7 Pezs (equal one week), bubble pipes for both of my sons, cute gift bags. All only cost me eleven bucks. Pretty good deal? As for Ryan, he was the ones I used my Teacher Coupons to buy one of his favorite books: Bernstain Bears. Frankly, I like this books because it teaches the properly way to use social skills.

While my brain ran wildly, I came up clever ideas without spending so much for my sons without paying more than 20 dollars that included getting candies (Oh dear, sweet tooth!) I decorated many cute stuffs in a front of a fireplace before we all woke up on a beautiful Easter's morning. Both Dylan and Ryan were enthusiastic that their gifts were waiting for them open. While opening the gifts, the Easter Bunny left them a note that there were 12 plastic eggs hidden, but each of them only could get six.

After they were done with their Easter Egg Hunting, we ended up going out to an Easter Breakfast at Broken Yolk. It was not my $$$. We spend thrifty from our tax refund from the government. Eating breakfast had caused our stomachs bigger than our eyes. Sure, we were stuffed. Being stuffed was a positive impact because we didn't spend any more money out of our pocket.

We later ended up treating our sons to a movie, "Monsters vs. Aliens." They were thrilled to get more Easter gifts. The sound affects and tons of visible actions excited them. I could see them and another kids were jumped when the Monsters and Aliens were making LOUD thumpings. As for me, I admitted I was a little bit sleepy because I woke up VERY early this morning, and frankly tend to fall asleep in the movie when it felt like it was my bedtime.

Without a doubt, our overall Easter's Day was one of the nicest family events. I truly enjoyed spending my dear husband and my two wonderful sons on this special day. This showed our love for each other.

Shifting the Mood

Have you ever experience feeling so LOW for weeks? I have not had feeling so down for a very long time until last February. I have tried so hard to keep myself above the water. I did not realize my inner mood was so obvious.

Well something exceeding pleasing last night. I started making a spiteful messages on my friend's blog. It turned out on-going long listing messages on my friends' message. This caused me being in a particular state by laughing myself long and hard-- I nearly peed myself while my dear husband and my wonderful sons were sound asleep. Without a doubt, it really turned my mood upside down and had forgotten the whole downbeat news I had a few months ago.

Just this morning, I had a" get-up- and-go" energy. I started out cleaning deeply in the kitchen because I really wanted to surprise my husband that laughing for an entire night made a WHOLE lots difference. It was also a perfect "Good Friday" to have everything polish it up before Easter's Day.

Barrel of Monkeys

Don't you remember playing a game of a "Barrel of Monkey?" That was one of the challenging yet hilarious games. In this post, I am literally speaking about my crazy boys who were in the mood to be a part of "Barrel of Monkeys" on one afternoon.

Instead of being in a coop place during our Spring Break, I took both Dylan and Ryan out to Bookstores and getting their all time favorite drinks: Jamba Juice and Chai Tea from Starbucks.
While we were outside of Barnes and Nobles, Ryan created the troubles. He decided to walk straight toward to the water foundation. Little by little, he got himself wet.


Dylan decided to make funny faces in a front of the camera as usual. It was so good to see them feeling relax when they go outside despite of having cool temperature especially during Spring Break. I will do it more often while we have one more week of a Spring Break.

A New Chapter

For the past few months, I have had rocky experiences regarding my teaching job. The Deaf and Hard of Hearing Program where I work will be closed at the end of the school year. It is due to downsizing deaf and hard of hearing students in our district. Isn't it pensive sadness ?

Well as of right now, the two programs are up in the air: two schools will combine into one program, and probably will become a magnet school under San Diego County Department of Education. This means there will be more deaf and hard of hearing students in one same school. Students will benefit by interacting and supporting each other inside and outside of classrooms, especially in education. However on the negative side will be the bus transportation for students. I honestly can remember riding on a school bus for an hour. Riding on a bus can be awful but chatting with the peers were AWESOME!

While there are lots of anticipating decisions for next year program for the deaf and hard of hearing program, there are thousands General and Special Education teachers all over California are fighting against another teachers in order to save their job position. Fighting against one of your co-workers can be bitter and miserable.

Frankly too often many teachers would go out and fight against their own co-workers or against the district without thinking unambiguously. I nearly did. But during my Spring Break, I had a chance to sit down and make more rational choices. It was a tough call. As a result, I made a clear message to call and request to drop my case against where I currently work for the district. This would save my bad reputation if I look like I was arrogant or intolerant. More importantly, I don't want to have this kind of pessimistic feelings for the rest of my life.

In order to halt my fighting, I have concluded to my final decision: drop the file cases. I will have to wait for the news about the new Deaf and Hard of Hearing program on May 1st. It all will depend on the seniority by hiring six out of ten teachers. I may be on the nose on getting a job, or out of a teaching job. Either way will be fine with me. Only God will guide me to where I am supposed to be for the next couple of months from now. The best thing I have made the decent decision was letting go against the district and let it guide me to where ever I go.

It's Spring !!!

Spring is my favorite season of the year because we have spring vacation and right after spring vacation we have summer vacation.

When spring comes the weather is much more pleasant, it is too beautiful to see so many beautiful blooming flowers all over California. Not only seeing beautiful flowers out there, I could see many newcomers entering the world: butterflies, ladybugs, birds, bees and many more nature animals.

Spring does give me lots of things to look forward: going out more often, and doing around the house instead of tucking in bed all day. Both Dylan and Ryan did show their wonderful attitudes for the picture.

Spring is my best season of the year.

Mini-Play

Watching your kid in a play is always fun to watch. Ryan's Reading Specialist teacher invited me to watch him participating a mini play. He and his group have been working hard on reading especially on reading comprehension. This is the most important of reading comprehension in order to be able to understand the questions for the test.

Just a day before Ryan's mini play, Ryan came up to me that he loved the book, "If a Mouse Eats a Cookie." I sure was glad he understands that it is a funny book. He also learned that it is a fiction. That is one of the important aspects for the first graders.

He also learned to read the cues when it is time to pick up the "cookies" from the floor. I personally thought it was cute to watch him in a mini- play.

When it was his turn to read, he looked out for the highlight words. The teachers changed the words for his reading level. I thought it was one of the brilliant ideas to promote him to read at a higher level among the reading comprehension.

Wellness Day

Have you ever had an entire school involve a Wellness Day? This includes lots of exercises, eating healthy food, and educating about the healthy food. The students had been taught the food group a week before the big activity day: The Second Annual Wellness Day.

The first thing in the morning, there were two different groups: K-2 and 3-5. My students were involved in a first group, so did Ryan. Even though Dylan is in second group, his combo class (2-3) grade join the second group. Both groups have same activities, but different routines. I saw very little of Dylan through out the day.

Ryan and my students started out Jog-A-Thon for an hour! He indeed ran for an hour. Lots of kids were sweating. While the kids were running around laps, the San Diego News - Channel 6 showed up. I did not expect to be on the news. I was promoting the kids, " Hurry Up, Go!' I wished I said it more positively to other deaf and hard of hearing students. Oh well, at least, the new reporters did not know what I was saying. Then, the principal of the school was explaining the news about the reason of using a Wellness Day.

After the first group finished running for an hour, all of them get a free Fruit popsicle. It certainly helped to cool themselves off. At the same time, it is a rewarding treat. I eventually caught some of my other son, Dylan throughout the day. I did see him getting a healthy lunch pack. In the pack, it includes: peanut butter jelly, rasins, honey crackers, and a pint of milk.

Once we all had our same-time picnic lunch, we started 12 minutes routines. During the routines, there were awesome activities, even Yoga! I wished I joined the Yoga activities, but it was for the older kids. Dylan was one of them. I bet he will have to teach me how. There were fruit smoothies. The superdiedent, who was my former boss, was there to demonstrate the smoothies. He did a good job making us a cup of delicous fruit smoothies.

As I have mentioned there were health education: UV Ray (they used clear bead bracklets to demonstrate what is our current UV Ray), Therapy Dog (Ryan announced that the dog looked like from "Hotel for the Dogs--Groan!" and educating about sugar. I loved that idea. One of the finest student teachers demonstrated students on how much each drink has sugar. It shocked many of us. Wtihout a doubt, I sure will use them in the near future.

A day after the Wellness Day, I asked my four and seven years old students to demonstrate the food group with the plastic food on the floor. They mostly did get the right food group. I sure felt so good that I had taught my students about the Food Group a week before the Wellness Day.