No Clue, No Lights, No Worries

It started storming yesterday and God was still blessing us with LOTS of rain this morning. There are very few things I am scared of but driving in the rain is a BIGGIE! I HATE it (and hate is a word I rarely use). I have about a 25 minute commute that I love because it is my time to brainstorm, reflect, unwind, prepare, pray and just focus on whatever is on my heart. BUT there are also lots of 18 wheelers who fly by you at 80 mph and in the rain that terrifies me.

So, I left for work early and I already like to get there early...this means it was dark outside AND pouring. White knuckles, rapid heartbeat, cramped hands, and 35 minutes later I arrive at school. Someone is in MY parking space. No, it doesn't have my name on it but it has been MY spot for about 9 years after I inherited it when Grandma Moses retired. I mumbled something ugly decided to not worry about it since God got to me to work safely and headed out to swim inside.

As I am walking to my classroom, the lights go out! I go to my room which is pitch black because it is still early AND dark and stormy outside. I get the flashlight out of my Boogie Bag  and turn on a very DIM flashlight and it dies! I go to the classroom that opens up into mine and search for her flashlight by light of my cell phone and cannot find her bag. I venture out it the hallway and learn that MY part of the school doesn't have lights but everyone else does. So I am thinking I can go home right??? My breakfast cart gets delivered (Yes, we have the joy of eating breakfast in the classroom but that is an entirely DIFFERENT post!). Now, I am beginning to panic and plan on a breakfast picnic in the hall because 1st graders cannot get food where it needs to be in FULL DAYLIGHT....milk in the dark and some of my kiddos...picture Elaine from Seinfeld dancing and put a milk carton in her hands...yep, that would be a close enough picture of the disaster that would be.

4 minutes before the kiddos come our lights come on....now I have to wait about 20 minutes for my computer to boot up and I have to install ALL 1, 222 fonts back onto my computer. Now, come kiddos with umbrellas and it is pouring and we are watching the playground become a lake.

The Monday is getting even brighter because I have decided to conquer the TPRI to get it out of the way. Child number 1 takes 50 minutes for me to give him the test. One of the stories he read (which was more difficult than what he usually reads) his words per minute were 12. O! M! Gosh!!!! And that was doing the you say it in 3 seconds or it is an error! HEADACHE! CALGON TAKE ME AWAY! But the icing on the cake was BEFORE listening to him read. He was reading words from a list and came to the word shelf. He noticed it had a H brother and even told me this. He sounded it out sh-e-l-f and then said monkey. Seriously, where have you been since August??!!!??? I did tell him I was about to bop him on the head!

Later, he was playing Animal Detectives and was looking at the camel card and was trying to figure out the last letter in camel. He goes to look for his guided reading book that had the word camel in it! Yes, he was being resourceful but really??!!!??? I looked at him like they look at me sometimes like Have you completely lost you sweet mind???? Right away he said "l" but I was like this friend needs a little bit more one-on-one time to build him up and his confidence because he obviously is so unsure of himself because he knows! He is just one of my little ones that needs so much love because no one makes time for them at home. =(

So, after beating myself up for being a crummy teacher and making an ENORMOUS list of all of the things I need to do better. I am going to try and not worry. The key word there is try!

I am planning a giveaway for all of you wonderful followers and really just want to take the time again to tell you not only thank you for following me but thank you for the heart notes. Each one means the world to me!

To show you some thanks, everything in my TpT store is on sale for $1! Click on the lovebugs to go to my store!

While you are there, I would love for you to follow me! This sale will end sometime tomorrow! Tell your bloggy friends! =)

Here is a *freebie*!

My kiddos love the first Animal Detectives I made so here is Animal Detectives 2!

graphics by DJ Inkers

Here is the first one if you didn't grab it!

graphics by DJ Inkers

Question of the Day:

Do you have a parking "spot"?